Toronto Maple Leafs will head to the Capital One Arena to take on the Washington Capitals in an Eastern Conference Game

The Maple Leafs are third in the Atlantic Division (32-14-4, 68 points), while the Capitals are currently fourth in the Metropolitan Division (28-15-9, 65 points) so far. This will be the first of three games, as the other two games are in April. 

There are some stars on the ice for this game as center Auston Matthews and left winger Alex Ovechkin are going to be big here. Let’s dive into Toronto and Washington to determine where we should bet on the puck line. 

Offensive Firepower

The Maple Leafs are scoring the puck extremely well this season as they have scored 3.54 goals on 34.9 shot attempts per game so far. Center Auston Matthews has been a star for Toronto is second in goals and tied for sixth in the sport with points as he has posted 62 points (34 goals, 28 assists) and scored seven points in their previous five games.

Toronto is leading the entire NHL as they have posted a 30.4 power play percentage this season as they are incredibly well on the offensive side of the game. 

Toronto as a team is giving up 2.80 goals on 30.6 shot attempts per game, so they have done a decent job so far. Goalie Jack Campbell has been doing extremely well for the Maple Leafs as he is 23-8-4 with a save percentage of .920 and 2.46 goals per game this season.

Maple Leafs are sixth in the entire sport with an 84.3 penalty kill percentage, so they can defend extremely well while a man down. 

Over and Ovechkin Again

Left winger Alex Ovechkin is also tied for sixth in hockey in points, and fourth in the NHL is goals as he has recorded 62 points (31 goals, 31 assists) so far and has scored four points in as many games.

The Caps are scoring 3.25 goals on 31.2 shot attempts per game this season, so they can be a huge threat to any defense. Washington’s 16.1 power play percentage is 28th in the sport, so they need to step up in that department. 

Goaltender Ilya Samsonov has been struggling a bit this season for the Capitals as he is 17-7-3 with 2.84 goals per game with a .906 save percentage thus far. Washington is giving up 2.75 goals on 29.1 shots per game against them, so they have played well defensively.

They are right at league average with a 79 kill percentage this season, so they need to improve there if they want to win here and be a bigger threat.

The Maple Leafs or the Capitals?

Defensively, this should not be a question as Toronto is allowing five goals in their previous three games while Washington is giving up 2.5 goals in their last four games.

Ovechkin has been one of the best players, and his veteran presence in his home arena should dominate more than Matthews can in this matchup. The Maple Leafs are currently 20-30 against the spread this year, while the Capitals are sitting at 27-25 against the spread so far.

All in all, go with the Washington Capitals to cover the puck line at home.

* 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.