Vancouver Canucks Travel to Toronto to Face the Maple Leafs

On Saturday, the Vancouver Canucks will head to the Scotiabank Arena to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is a non-conference matchup. This is the second and final game between one another, with Vancouver picking up a 3-2 home victory in mid-February. The Canucks are sixth in the Pacific Division (26-23-6, 58 points) and lost 7-2 on the road against the New Jersey Devils. The Maple Leafs are currently third in the Atlantic Division (35-14-4, 74 points). They are coming off a 5-3 road win over the Washington Capitals. 

With a star center on each side showcasing the star power, it will be an interesting matchup between two solid Canadien teams. Let’s look at both teams to determine where we should be betting. 

Game Preview: Vancouver Canucks at Toronto Maple Leafs March 

Looking at the records between these teams this season, this seems like a slam dunk. However, looking a little deeper into the defensive side shows a bit of a different aspect as the Canucks are allowing 2.82 goals on 31.6 shot attempts. While the Maple Leafs are giving up 2.85 goals on 30.7 shots against them. However, the threat of scoring will be an issue. Center John Tavares, left winger Pierre Engvall, defenseman Travis Dermott, and right winger Ondrej Kase are all on the injury report as of this writing. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs are an incredible offensive threat this season as they are averaging 3.68 goals (third in the NHL). Compared to the Canucks, who are averaging 2.75 goals (23rd in the sport). With the injuries piling up for Toronto, this number should not indicate what can happen. Vancouver needs to limit the play of center Auston Matthews as he is tied for first in the league in goals. He is tied for fourth in points with 68 points (37 goals, 31 assists) and scored nine points in his last four games. Limiting Matthews should be priority number one in this game. 

Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Prediction

The defenses have shown the difference recently as Vancouver is giving up three goals in their last four games. While Toronto is allowing four goals in their previous five games. Looking at their last matchup, Demko had a huge game with a career-high 51 saves in the other game this season.  

The Canucks are currently 31-24 Against the Spread this season, while the Maple Leafs are just 23-30 Against the Spread so far. All in all, go with the Vancouver Canucks to cover the puck line and the Toronto Maple Leafs to win on the moneyline in this game.

---

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.