The Toronto Maple Leafs look to have finally emerged from the NHL’s basement as a contender, as they have clinched a playoff spot for the sixth consecutive year, a one-hit wonder no longer. In Saturday’s win over the Montreal Canadiens, Auston Matthews extended his franchise record for goals in a season, scoring his 57th and 58th just 27 seconds apart during the first period in a game the Leafs would hold on to win, 3-2, giving them 100 points on the season and sending them to the postseason. John Tavares scored his 26th goal, and Erik Kallgren stopped 24 shots. With 50 goals in his last 50 games, Matthews has accomplished a feat not seen since Mario Lemieux did it for PIttsburgh in the 1995-1996 campaign. As the NHL’s regular season continues to wind down, look at our top NHL betting picks for the first part of the week.
NHL News: Top Betting Games of the Week
Tuesday, April 12
→ Pittsburgh Penguins at N.Y. Islanders (7:30 pm ET, ESPN+)
The Pittsburgh Penguins bounced back from an ugly four-game losing streak that included two losses to Colorado, a 3-0 blanking in New York by the Rangers and a 6-3 shellacking by the Washington Capitals, by taking down the Nashville Predators at home on Sunday, 3-2. In that victory, the Pens needed overtime, and Sidney Crosby delivered, scoring his 1,400th career point with the game-winner 2:21 into the extra frame. That was his second goal of the game, along with an assist, and he became the seventh-fastest player ever to hit 1,400 points. Casey DeSmith posted 33 saves for Pittsburgh.
Next up is a visit to the Islanders in New York. The Islanders have split their last four games and took a bad loss on Saturday in St. Louis, getting run off the ice by the Blues in 6-1 fashion. In that game, Grant Hutton had the only goal – his first in the NHL. Semyon Varlamov stopped 25 shots but took his 15th regulation loss of the season against just nine wins. The Penguins are pushing for a playhoff slot, while the Islanders are largely looking toward next year.
Final Score Prediction: Pittsburgh 4, New York 2
→ Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars (9:30 pm ET, ESPN)
The Lightning had dropped four in a row before hosting the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night, and the Lightning seemed to fix whatever had been ailing them, as they rolled right over the Sabres, 5-0. In the win, Corey Perry and Ondrej Palat scored 17 seconds apart during the first period to set the tone for the night. Brando Hagel, Nikita Kucherov and Ross Colton also lit the lamp, and Brian Elliott stopped 28 shots. If the offense can keep humming like that, the Lightning will be difficult to stop.
The Dallas Stars continue to alternate between playing excellent hockey and playing horrendous hockey. The Stars surrendered leads in losses to Toronto and New Jersey over the weekend and got routed by the expansion Kraken last Sunday. Then they turned around and edged a tough Islanders team and hung six goals on the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. In the win in Chicago, Jason Robertson scored his 33rd and 34th goals of the season just about three minutes apart, breaking a tie near the middle of the second period. Jake Oettinger stopped 36 shots, and Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn also scored goals. The problem that the Stars have is an inconsistent defense, and so while they might be able to sneak into the playfofs as a wild card, they won’t have an answer for offensive juggernauts like the LIghtning.
Final Score Prediction: Tampa Bay 5, Dallas 3
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