The Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking to halt a 1-3-0 run on home ice when they welcome the Dallas Stars to town on Thursday night as -150 favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
With Auston Matthews sidelined indefinitely with a shoulder injury, Toronto struggled to generate offence in a 3-1 loss to the visiting Calgary Flames on Monday, and have tallied just five total goals in four home contests ahead of Thursday night’s game at Scotiabank Arena.
Matthews had provided Toronto with an early offensive spark, potting 10 goals and six assists through his 11 appearances, but was held pointless in the four games leading up to his injury in Saturday’s 3-2 win over the visiting Winnipeg Jets as -145 chalk.
A visit from the Stars may be just what Toronto needs to kick-start its offence. The Maple Leafs have won 11 of 13 against Dallas, including six straight home victories, according to the OddsShark NHL Database. However, the Stars arrive in town as +130 underdogs after claiming their first road win of the season on Tuesday, a 4-1 victory in Montreal as a -110 bet.
Elsewhere on the Thursday NHL odds, the Canadiens look to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season as they host the Washington Capitals as +105 underdogs. As well, the Jets close out a three-game road trip in Florida as -145 favourites, while the Flames return home from their successful eastern swing to face the Colorado Avalanche as -135 chalk.
The Canadiens have exceeded expectations during a 6-3-2 start, but were unable to overcome a 2-0 deficit in Monday’s loss to Dallas. The defeat halted Montreal’s four-game win streak at the Bell Centre, and they have lost 12 of 13 to the Capitals on home ice since 2010.
However, the Capitals have struggled to find their groove early on this season, going 5-3-2 while failing to record consecutive wins, and have been idle since last Friday’s 3-2 win in Calgary as a +100 bet.
The Jets managed to sandwich a narrow 2-1 win over Detroit in between a pair of losses to the Maple Leafs last week, and have been outscored by a 12-5 margin during their current 1-3 run on the road. Winnipeg has also posted just one win in five visits to South Florida, but take on a Panthers team searching for their first home win of the season as +125 underdogs.
Also on Thursday night, the Ottawa Senators search for an end to a four-game slide as they host the Buffalo Sabres as small +110 underdogs, while the Edmonton Oilers host the Chicago Blackhawks as -135 chalk.
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