The Boston Bruins look to regain home-ice advantage in this best-of-seven Sportsbook-round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs as Game 4 goes from Scotiabank Arena. Toronto earned home-ice advantage after splitting the first two games at TD Garden and grabbed a 2-1 series lead in Game 3 at home. The Leafs are a -120 favorite in tonight’s game with the Bruins coming back at +100 and the total Sportsbook at 6 goals.
Bruins vs Maple Leafs Game Center
Standout Stats
- Toronto will look to become the first team in this series to win back-to-back games as each team has clawed back following defeat. So far, the Maple Leafs have outscored the Bruins 13-12 and hold a 2-1 series lead. The first two games at TD Garden were three-goal victories – one by each team – and Toronto edged Boston 3-2 in Game 3 in Toronto.
- The total has been set at 6 for each of the first three games and the combined score has gone UNDER in each game, with a total of five goals in each contest.
- The biggest factor thus far in this series is the line matching between head coaches Mike Babcock and Bruce Cassidy. The Bruins’ top line of David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand combined for six points in Games 1 and 2 but was held pointless in the third game. Meanwhile, the ideal matchup for Babcock against the Bergeron line has been Mitchell Marner, John Tavares and Zach Hyman, who have also put up a combined six points. The depth forwards is where this series will be won and the fourth line for Toronto has been great for momentum but it needs Auston Matthews to continue scoring after he got his first goal in Game 3.
- Both goaltenders have been standing tall, with Frederik Andersen sporting a 2.34 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage, while Tuukka Rask holds a 2.37 GAA and a .928 save percentage.
- The Bruins have had the slight edge with the man advantage, going 3-for-9 on the power play while the Leafs are 2-for-9. Toronto went 2-for-3 on the PP in Game 3 when Andreas Johnsson moved up to the top unit to assume Nazem Kadri’s position after the veteran was suspended for the remainder of the series for his cross-check to the head of Jake DeBrusk in Game 2.
My Best Bet for Boston vs Toronto Game 4
Toronto Moneyline
I think with Toronto being able to have the last line change, the Leafs will almost always have the personnel they want against Boston’s lines. The B’s need to take advantage of the Leafs’ icings, which they tried to do in Game 3 but were unable to capitalize.
In 2016-17, Auston Matthews was held pointless in the Leafs’ first two playoff games vs Washington but then scored in the four remaining games. He got his first in Game 3 this year – will he be able to find the back of the net more frequently now?
