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Monday, February 26
NHL Game of the Day: Maple Leafs at Lightning betting preview and odds
Frederik Andersen had lost five of his first six career decisions against Tampa Bay before recording a 4-3 home victory on Feb. 12 to even the season series.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning (A: +155, H: -170, T: 6)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made it a three-team battle for the Atlantic Division title with an impressive run and can move closer to the top when they visit the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. The Maple Leafs are 13-2-0 in their last 15 games and have won four in a row after edging Boston 4-3 on Saturday to move one point ahead of the Bruins and climb within four of the Lightning.
“We like our team, we think we’re getting better, and we think we’ve been getting better for a while,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock told reporters. “We think we’re learning to play the right way. If we play hard, we have a chance to play with anybody.” The trade deadline arrives Monday afternoon, and the Maple Leafs got a jump on things a day earlier by acquiring veteran center Tomas Plekanec from Montreal for a pair of prospects and a 2018 second-round draft pick. Tampa Bay is rumored to be involved in trade talk, with its focus on improving a defense that has allowed 39 goals in 12 games this month despite posting an 8-4-0 record after a perfect three-game road trip that ended with Saturday's 4-3 shootout win at Montreal. “It’s a hard league and they’re finding ways to win,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters. “But you can’t wait until the third (period), be down and expect every time you’re going to come back.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Ontario, TVA (Toronto), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
LINE HISTORY: The Lightning opened as -180 favorites and as of Monday morning that number was down slightly to -170 at most books. The total hit betting boards at 6 goals and has yet to move.
GOALIE SHOWDOWN:
Frederik Andersen (TOR) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB)
GP W L OTL GAA SAVE % SO
Frederik Andersen
53 32 16 4 2.67 .922 5
Andrei Vasilevskiy
51 36 12 2 2.34 .927 7
INJURY REPORT:
Maple Leafs - C Tomas Plekanec (Questionable, Trade Acquisition), C Auston Matthews (Early March, Shoulder), LW Joffrey Lupul (I-R, Conditioning).
Lightning - G Peter Budaj (Early March, Leg), LW Ondrej Palat (Mid March, Lower Body).
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (39-20-5, 29-30-5 O/U): Auston Matthews (team-best 28 goals) is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, but Mitch Marner has taken over the scoring lead by registering 20 of his 51 points in the last 17 games. “That confidence is there for Mitch,” center Nazem Kadri told reporters. “As an offensive player, once you get in the rhythm with scoring and putting points on the board, you just catch a streak.” Frederik Andersen had lost five of his first six career decisions against Tampa Bay before recording a 4-3 home victory on Feb. 12 to even the season series.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (42-17-3, 39-22-1 O/U): The wins keep coming despite some shakiness on the blue line thanks to some outstanding goaltending from Andrei Vasilevskiy (league-best 36 wins, .927 save percentage) and several lethal offensive players. Nikita Kucherov leads the league with 82 points and has notched at least one in nine straight games while Brayden Point has scored in four consecutive contests (five goals overall) and recorded a point in seven in a row. Norris Trophy candidate Victor Hedman has collected seven points in his last six games and leads all NHL defensemen with a plus-27 rating.
TRENDS:
* Maple Leafs are 14-3 in their last 17 overall.
* Lightning are 22-7 in their last 29 home games.
* Over is 6-1 in Maple Leafs last 7 games following a win.
* Over is 11-1 in Lightning last 12 games following a win.
* Road team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
CONSENSUS: Early return from contest users showed 75 percent of the moneyline picks on the home favorite Tampa Bay Lightning and 51 percent of the totals wagers thus far have been on the Over.
Monday, February 26
NHL Game of the Day: Maple Leafs at Lightning betting preview and odds
Frederik Andersen had lost five of his first six career decisions against Tampa Bay before recording a 4-3 home victory on Feb. 12 to even the season series.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning (A: +155, H: -170, T: 6)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made it a three-team battle for the Atlantic Division title with an impressive run and can move closer to the top when they visit the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. The Maple Leafs are 13-2-0 in their last 15 games and have won four in a row after edging Boston 4-3 on Saturday to move one point ahead of the Bruins and climb within four of the Lightning.
“We like our team, we think we’re getting better, and we think we’ve been getting better for a while,” Toronto coach Mike Babcock told reporters. “We think we’re learning to play the right way. If we play hard, we have a chance to play with anybody.” The trade deadline arrives Monday afternoon, and the Maple Leafs got a jump on things a day earlier by acquiring veteran center Tomas Plekanec from Montreal for a pair of prospects and a 2018 second-round draft pick. Tampa Bay is rumored to be involved in trade talk, with its focus on improving a defense that has allowed 39 goals in 12 games this month despite posting an 8-4-0 record after a perfect three-game road trip that ended with Saturday's 4-3 shootout win at Montreal. “It’s a hard league and they’re finding ways to win,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters. “But you can’t wait until the third (period), be down and expect every time you’re going to come back.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Ontario, TVA (Toronto), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
LINE HISTORY: The Lightning opened as -180 favorites and as of Monday morning that number was down slightly to -170 at most books. The total hit betting boards at 6 goals and has yet to move.
GOALIE SHOWDOWN:
Frederik Andersen (TOR) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB)
GP W L OTL GAA SAVE % SO
Frederik Andersen
53 32 16 4 2.67 .922 5
Andrei Vasilevskiy
51 36 12 2 2.34 .927 7
INJURY REPORT:
Maple Leafs - C Tomas Plekanec (Questionable, Trade Acquisition), C Auston Matthews (Early March, Shoulder), LW Joffrey Lupul (I-R, Conditioning).
Lightning - G Peter Budaj (Early March, Leg), LW Ondrej Palat (Mid March, Lower Body).
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (39-20-5, 29-30-5 O/U): Auston Matthews (team-best 28 goals) is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury, but Mitch Marner has taken over the scoring lead by registering 20 of his 51 points in the last 17 games. “That confidence is there for Mitch,” center Nazem Kadri told reporters. “As an offensive player, once you get in the rhythm with scoring and putting points on the board, you just catch a streak.” Frederik Andersen had lost five of his first six career decisions against Tampa Bay before recording a 4-3 home victory on Feb. 12 to even the season series.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (42-17-3, 39-22-1 O/U): The wins keep coming despite some shakiness on the blue line thanks to some outstanding goaltending from Andrei Vasilevskiy (league-best 36 wins, .927 save percentage) and several lethal offensive players. Nikita Kucherov leads the league with 82 points and has notched at least one in nine straight games while Brayden Point has scored in four consecutive contests (five goals overall) and recorded a point in seven in a row. Norris Trophy candidate Victor Hedman has collected seven points in his last six games and leads all NHL defensemen with a plus-27 rating.
TRENDS:
* Maple Leafs are 14-3 in their last 17 overall.
* Lightning are 22-7 in their last 29 home games.
* Over is 6-1 in Maple Leafs last 7 games following a win.
* Over is 11-1 in Lightning last 12 games following a win.
* Road team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
CONSENSUS: Early return from contest users showed 75 percent of the moneyline picks on the home favorite Tampa Bay Lightning and 51 percent of the totals wagers thus far have been on the Over.
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