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Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens Preview
You’ll have to search far and wide to find a rivalry more fierce than the Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens. On Saturday, April 6, the feud reignites for the last time this season, and the puck drop is at 7:00 PM ET. Toronto is closing in on a National Hockey League playoff spot, but the Canadiens are having an awful campaign.
The Maple Leafs were on a three-game winning streak before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this week. Auston Matthews got Toronto’s only goal in a 4-1 defeat against the Lightning. Montreal played the Panthers in their latest game, notching a 5-3 victory over Florida. The Canadiens have won two out of their last three games, but can they dent Toronto’s playoff hopes this weekend?
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens rivalry takes place on Saturday. Toronto has faced Montreal twice this season, but their third meeting is the last game of their 2023-24 series. The Canadiens must improve against their rivals to avoid another defeat. Toronto has won both battles this campaign, but only one point separated the sides in their latest contest.
The Montreal Canadiens couldn’t have asked for a better start to the game. It took Mike Matheson 38 seconds to score the opener, giving Montreal an early lead over their rivals. The rest of the first period was uneventful, and one point split the sides heading into the second. However, Bobby McMann set the game on fire with a goal in under one minute. McMann capitalized on a two-on-one counterattack, with David Kampf notching the assist. With just over a minute left in the period, Max Domi broke away from the Canadiens’ defense and put Toronto in the lead for the first time.
Montreal was one point behind heading into the last period. The Canadiens had to bounce back in the final 20 minutes, and they did just that, with Alex Newhook posting his tenth goal this season. Toronto was shorthanded when Newhook equalized, but they fought hard during the period to notch a win. With under seven minutes remaining, John Tavares poked the puck home from inside the crease to seal a much-deserved victory over Montreal.
The two sides met for the first time this season in October. The contest was thrilling, but the game started slowly in the first period. Montreal’s Jake Evans scored the only goal. The Canadiens doubled their lead early in the second via Alex Newhook. Moments later, the Maple Leafs reduced Montreal’s advantage. A quick release from Noah Gregor gave Toronto hope, and they looked unstoppable in the second period. Auston Matthews tied the game during a power play. The Maple Leafs had another power play with seconds remaining. This time, William Nylander scored and gave Toronto the lead.
Cole Caufield got the opener in the third, followed by Newhook’s second goal of the contest. Jesse Ylönen gave Montreal a two-point buffer. Matthews revived the contest for Toronto, notching two late goals, sending the game into overtime. Neither side scored during OT, leaving a shootout to decide the contest. Mitch Marner scored the only goal during the shootout, giving Toronto a 6-5 SO victory over their rivals.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs play, there are usually plenty of goals. The Maple Leafs notch 3.61 points per game, the third-highest tally in the NHL. The Montreal Canadiens aren’t as blessed offensively, posting 2.72 goals per contest. Montreal struggles to defend their net, conceding an average of 3.32 points each game. However, Toronto isn’t much better, allowing 3.11 goals per contest. The Canadiens must be careful during power plays because the Maple Leafs convert 24.4% of their PP opportunities. Montreal has one of the worst penalty kill percentages in the NHL, shutting down 77.2% of power plays.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens Predictions
Correct Score Prediction: Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 OT win over Montreal Canadiens
The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a massive blow to their NHL playoff push when losing against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, Toronto can get their season back on track with a win over their rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, this weekend. We predict the Maple Leafs will beat the Canadiens in overtime.
The last two meetings between the Maple Leafs and Canadiens were close contests, and we expect the same on Saturday. One point will separate the sides, but they’ll need a fourth period. Our correct score prediction is a Toronto 4-3 OT win over Montreal. Overtime is challenging to predict when betting on the NHL, but we believe the Maple Leafs vs Canadiens game is an excellent chance to land a high-odds wager.
We predict the second period will have the most points. The second period has notched over 1.5 goals during both their previous battles. In October, Toronto posted three points in the second, with Montreal also getting a goal. Their latest game saw two points in the second period, but only the Maple Leafs scored. The first period is yet to see over one goal, so we predict the opening 20 minutes will be the lowest-scoring period.
Their first meeting this season had 40 penalty minutes, and we predict over 25 penalty minutes on Saturday. That’s more than their previous clash, with the two sides only notching 16 minutes in March. However, the Maple Leafs are a handful of points away from the NHL playoffs, and that’ll only add more fuel to the rivalry. Toronto is dangerous during power plays, so we predict they’ll score one goal during a PP situation.
and counting … pic.twitter.com/o2hiMknZIQ
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 2, 2024
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens Betting Picks
We expect an exciting contest between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. The two sides are rivals, but the Maple Leafs are performing much better this season and are close to the NHL playoffs. If you’re betting on the moneyline this weekend, our pick is Toronto.
However, our sportsbook also lets you bet on the regular time moneyline. The regular time moneyline is a three-way market, meaning you can wager on a tie. Our correct score prediction is a 4-3 OT win in favor of Toronto. That means the contest will be 3-3 after three periods, setting up a bet on a draw. Given their first contest went to a shootout, overtime is likely. But this wager still comes with increased risk, so use a welcome bonus to cover any potential losses, and never wager more than you can afford to lose.
You can also use our score prediction on the spread bet. We expect a tie after regular time, meaning we can find plenty of winning bets on the spread. You can add +1.5 points to the Maple Leafs if you’re a Toronto fan and do the opposite if you’re a Montreal fan. It’s a fantastic way to wager on your team, but these bets usually offer smaller profits. If you’re looking for greater earnings when betting on hockey events, Novibet lets you bet on the first team to score. These wagers come with more significant returns but can be hard to predict. However, Montreal has opened the scoring in both games against the Maple Leafs this season, and we expect them to notch the opener again.
There’s nothing more entertaining than watching a hockey game. That’s why Novibet offers live betting on all NHL contests. Placing live wagers is a great way to use the player pick markets, as the skaters on the ice often change during the game. If you’re betting on Toronto this weekend, we suggest monitoring William Nylander. The forward is the second-highest point scorer for the Maple Leafs but hasn’t notched in his last two games. We believe he’ll end his drought and get over 0.5 points against Montreal. When betting on the Canadiens, Nick Suzuki is your safest bet. Suzuki has 71 points (32G, 39A) this season, and he’s posted seven points in his last five contests.
Morgan Rielly set to return to Maple Leafs lineup, but Mitch Marner not quite there yet.https://t.co/gTVtsTdazU pic.twitter.com/Cqa7qpPOvs
— Toronto Sun (@TheTorontoSun) April 3, 2024
Toronto Maple Leafs Team News
The Toronto Maple Leafs are assessing Mitch Marner’s condition ahead of the Montreal Canadiens contest. Marner has 51 assists this season and is crucial to Toronto’s offensive threat. Reports state that the forward might be available on Saturday, but Maple Leafs fans won’t know until later this week. Timothy Liljegren and Joel Edmundson will miss multiple games because of injury. Liljegren suffered an upper-body injury, and the Maple Leafs’ medical staff expect him to be out for a while. Edmundson could return in the next two games but won’t feature against Montreal.
However, it’s not all bad news. The Maple Leafs signed a young NCAA prospect this month. Jacob Quillan signed a two-year entry-level contract with Toronto, leaving Quinnipiac University. The forward notched 46 points (17G, 29A) for Quinnipiac during the 2023-24 season and won the NCAA Championship last year. It’ll take some time until he’s ready for the NHL, but Quillan is a fantastic signing for the future.
Montreal Canadiens Team News
The Montreal Canadiens expected Christian Dvorak to be out for the rest of the season. However, Montreal’s medical team will monitor him daily, and Dvorak could return before the campaign ends. The forward is unlikely to play this weekend, but he played in this week’s practice session. Joshua Roy is at least two weeks away from returning to action and could be out until the end of April. Roy has played 23 games this season but only notched nine points (4G, 5A) during these contests. The forward has spent most of the season in the AHL, featuring 40 times for the Laval Rocket.
