For the Montreal Canadiens it has been a season of solid defense but frustrating offense and Montreal’s comparative lack of size has proven to be a problem against the better teams in the NHL. The Toronto Maple Leafs have an exciting offense that can keep the lamp lit but their defense is notoriously leaky although their goaltending has been solid in the face if the onslaught of rubber but playoff hockey is all about defense and the Leafs do not look like a serious Stanley Cup contender. The Toronto Maple Leafs will host the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night with coverage on CBC and NHLN US starting at 7 PM ET.
Losing Hab-it on Road
The Montreal Canadiens have lost 5 out of their last 9 away games with the NHL lines as just 2 out of their last 6 away games have gone over the total. Montreal had their playoff hopes revitalized with the acquisition of Thomas Vanek to help bolster an offense that was ranked 20th in the NHL for goal scoring compared to a NHL rank of 8th for goals against.
Leafs Paying the Rent and soaring Over
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won 7 out of their last 10 home games with just 3 out of their last 13 home games going under the total. Toronto ranked 10th in the NHL for goal scoring and 6th for the power play but that was offset by rankings of 26th in the NHL for goals against, 30th for shots allowed, and 28th for the penalty kill which was not a recipe for playoff success.
The Pick
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won 5 out of their last 9 games with the Montreal Canadiens as 7 out of the last 8 meetings between the Habs and Leafs have gone over the total. The Montreal Canadiens have won 5 out of their last 8 games at the Toronto Maple Leafs as 3 out of the last 4 games at Toronto between the Habs and Maple Leafs have gone over the total. We’ll call for the Montreal Canadiens and over the total in this one!
