The Florida Panthers just took game one on the road from the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's time to continue our NHL playoff odds series with a game two prediction, pick, and how to watch.
The Panthers kept the good times rolling in game one of the series. After being down 3-1 in their series with Boston, the Panthers shocked the NHL winning three straight games to take the series. With a first-period goal, Nick Cousins kept it going for the Panthers in game one. He was assisted by Matthew Tkachuk, who broke the franchise record for most points in a season including the playoffs.
The Maple Leafs lost game one for the second straight series. They won four of their next five against the Lightning, including game two, to win their first series since 2004. The big goal scorers were shut out in game one of the series, and they will look to bounce back in game two and get the win.
Here are the Panthers-Maple Leafs NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Playoffs Odds: Panthers-Maple Leafs Odds
Florida Panthers: +1.5 (-152)
Toronto Maple Leafs: -1.5 (+126)
Over: 6.5 (-120)
Under: 6.5 (-102)
How To Watch Panthers vs. Maple Leafs
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN app
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
The Panthers did a lot of things right in game one, and have a lot of things they can do better. The first great thing was Sergei Bobrovsky. After taking over the job in game four of the series with Boston, he has been very good, and last night was his best. In the playoffs, he is currently 4-1 with a .901 save percentage. Last night was his top performance, with a .944 save percentage as he let in just two goals on 36 shots. If he is going to continue to play at a high level, the Panthers could upset the Maple Leafs as well.
Second was their physicality. The Panthers hit the Maple Leafs, and out-hit them by nine. They were physical and grinding it out all night. Third, they killed the power play of the Maple Leafs. The Maple Leafs are a much better squad and normally win when they score on the power play. They went 0-4 on the power play as the Panthers shut them down. Finally, Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe got involved. Verhaeghe scored a goal on his only shot of the night, while Tkachuk did not score, but snagged three assists.
While they did a lot well, there are still areas to improve. The Panthers only got 28 shots off on the night, and they would like that number over 30. Secondly, they took ten minutes' worth of penalties, resulting in the four power plays. They need to limit their time in the box to win this game. Finally, they allowed Toronto to get off 36 shots, which they would like to bring down.
Why The Maple Leafs Could Cover The Spread
Ilya Samsonov just came off one of his worst games of the playoffs so far. He allowed four goals on just 28 shots on net in the game. That was good for a .857 save percentage, which is the second-worst of the playoffs for him. The good news is that his worst of the playoffs was also in game one. He allowed six goals on 29 shots in two periods in game one against Tampa Bay before being pulled. He came back out in game two and saved over 90% of the shots in a game two win. If he bounces back again, it could mean big things for Toronto in game two.
The Maple Leafs need to also score on the powerplay. When they have scored on the powerplay so far in the playoffs, they are 2-1. This was also the first time they got four or more chances on the power play and failed to convert so far in the playoffs. Florida is a good penalty-kill unit, but scoring is a must here. Finally, Toronto needs to control the puck better. They had a horrid Corsi percentage and failed to keep control of the puck overall.
The Maple Leafs did not have a completely awful game though. They got plenty of shots off, many of them in high-danger scoring areas. Of their 36 shots, 15 were in high-danger scoring areas. If they have that volume in that area again, they will score more and get the win.
Final Panthers-Maple Leafs Prediction & Pick
It is hard to steal both games on the road to start the series, but if a team can do it, it is the Panthers. They are grinding at such an intense pace they were guys down and find ways to score. If the Panthers give up the chances they did in game one, they will have trouble getting the win. Expect a bounce back in game two for the Maple Leafs, and while they win, they will not cover in a close game.
Final Panthers-Maple Leafs Prediction & Pick: Panthers +1.5 (-152)
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