Second place in the Atlantic Division standings will be on the line on Saturday when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins as -120 favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto tallied its 13th victory in 16 games on Thursday, a 4-3 shootout win over the visiting New York Islanders as a -195 bet, and sits just one point back of second-place Boston going into Saturday night’s Bruins versus Maple Leafs betting matchup at the Air Canada Centre.
The Maple Leafs’ 13-3-0 run includes eight straight wins on home ice and has featured an offensive resurgence, with Toronto shooters averaging 3.75 goals per game overall, and 4.22 goals per game on home ice.
Toronto’s strong play has also given the club plenty of breathing room in the NHL playoff race. The Maple Leafs now sit 21 points up on fourth-place Florida in the divisional standings, and have gained ground on the Stanley Cup odds, climbing to +1100 after trailing at +1500 just a week ago.
The Bruins ride a two-game win streak into Toronto as +100 underdogs after posting a 3-2 win in Edmonton as -129 chalk on Tuesday night. Boston has continued the consistent play that has been the hallmark of its current campaign, posting 22 wins in 28 outings, including victories in eight of its last nine road contests.
Boston recorded a 4-1 win as a -130 wager when the Maple Leafs visited on Feb. 3, but has struggled in recent dates at the ACC, getting outscored by an 11-5 margin in three straight losses, capped by Toronto’s 4-1 triumph as a -128 favourite on Nov. 11.
Another Atlantic Division clash on Saturday has the Montreal Canadiens taking on the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning as +150 underdogs.
The Canadiens escaped with a 3-1 win over the New York Rangers as -165 favourites on Thursday, ending a six-game slide. Montreal now looks to post consecutive wins for just the second time in its past 19 outings against a Lightning squad, which it has beaten in five of six meetings at Bell Centre — including a narrow 2-1 victory as a +153 bet on Jan. 4.
Earlier on Saturday afternoon, the Ottawa Senators take on the resurgent Philadelphia Flyers as +110 home underdogs, while the Calgary Flames aim for consecutive wins for the first time in nine games as they battle the visiting Colorado Avalanche as -145 favourites.
The Winnipeg Jets join Toronto at +1100 on the NHL futures, but trail as +120 road underdogs in Saturday night’s clash with Dallas, while the Oilers visit Los Angeles as +130 underdogs.
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