The second- and third-place teams in the NHL’s Atlantic Division are set to square off on Tuesday night when the Tampa Bay Lightning (43-20-6, 92 points) head north of the border to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs (35-25-9, 79 points). The Lightning are six points behind the division-leading Boston Bruins, while the Maple Leafs are just one point ahead of fourth-place Florida. If the Maple Leafs were to fall behind the Panthers, their postseason situation becomes much more tenuous, as there are two other teams in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points, and the New York Rangers have 76, which would mean four teams in a scramble for two wild card entries into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Let’s see how the NHL odds will be for the Lightning vs Maple Leafs.
Lightning vs Maple Leafs 2020 NHL Game Preview & Betting Odds
- When: Tuesday, March 10, 2020, 7:00 pm ET
- Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
- TV: TVA
- Radio: WFLA 970 AM Tampa Bay / CJCL 590 AM Toronto
- Live Stream: fuboTV
- NHL Odds: Tampa Bay -1.5 / O/U 6.5
Why should you bet on Tampa Bay?
Tampa Bay had an impressive pair of wins last week, shutting out the Canadiens in Montreal, 4-0, on Thursday and then heading to Boston to stop the Bruins, 5-3. Then, however, came a trip to Detroit, where they lost to the Red Wings in a shootout, 5-4. Tampa Bay made a number of errors on defense to allow the Red Wings to build a 4-2 lead in the third period, thanks to a power-play goal early in the third period and then a quick goal on even strength.
However, the Lightning drew level with 8:41 remaining in the third, but then regulation and overtime went by without any more scoring. This was the first time the Red Wings had been Tampa Bay in their last 16 tries, and it marked Detroit’s first two-game winning streak since January 7 and 10. The Lightning remain without captain Steven Stamkos (core muscle surgery) and also did not have defenseman Victor Hedman (lower body). After a day off, the Lightning should be fresh and motivated against Toronto.
Why should you put your money on Toronto?
Toronto comes in with the same record as Tampa Bay over their last ten games (4-5-1) but have a three-game losing streak going on right now. Their West Coast swing was a disaster, as they lost in San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim, scoring just four goals in that span against teams that are not considered contenders in the West standings. They lost in Anaheim on Friday night, 2-1, and have had three days off to figure things out with the Lightning headed to town.
In that loss to the Ducks, William Nylander had the only goal for the Maple Leafs; he scored with three minutes left in the third period, ending a scoreless drought of 144:33. Jack Campbel did make 29 saves, but a lack of offense in the last two games could have meant that it was time for some rest for some weary legs, and a renewal of commitment toward heading to the net and banging home goals. Nylander’s goal came with a sixth skater on the ice, as he took a turnover away from the Ducks and made a shot from a tough angle near the left faceoff circle. If you like the Maple Leafs, you think that three days off at home has given the Leafs some time to regroup. This is a young team, so the wear and tear on the legs might not be as important as a mental break from the strain of the long NHL schedule.
Lightning vs Maple Leafs Final Score Prediction
The Maple Leafs are a fun team that is exciting to watch, but their inconsistency has to be maddening to their fans, as they will play transcendent hockey and then turn around and lay a stinker the next night. Tampa Bay is still dealing with how to replace Stamkos in their offense, and given the rest Toronto has had, I see the Leafs dealing out a 4-2 win.
