It has been 17 long years since the Toronto Maple Leafs reached the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs – and they’re down to their third and final shot at turning the trick this season as they host Montreal in Game 7 on Monday night. Toronto (38-15-9 SU, 26-32-4 O/U) has lost consecutive overtime decisions to let the Canadiens (27-24-11 SU, 26-33-3 O/U) back in the series.
- Date/Time: May 31, 7 p.m. ET
- Arena: Scotiabank Arena
- TV Coverage: CNBC
- Sportsbook Odds: Maple Leafs -208 | O/U 5.5 (Line History)
- Canadiens vs Maple Leafs Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Maple Leafs opened the Game 7 betting cycle as -208 favorites, and their odds range now sits between -200 and -220 at the majority of sportsbooks. The total is set at 5.5, with the UNDER at -135 and the OVER at +115.
Montreal News & Notes
The Canadiens know what it’s like to be forced to lean on their goaltender – and they’ll likely need one more sensational showing from Carey Price to pull off a first-round upset. Price has been sublime in leading Montreal to surprise overtime wins in Games 5 and 6, and boasts a 2.44 goals-against average and .926 save percentage against one of the top offenses in hockey.
One area the Canadiens would love to improve is in holding on to late leads. Montreal has watched Toronto rally from third-period deficits in each of the past two games, and was outshot 44-17 in the third period and overtime in those games. The Canadiens posted a .900 win percentage during the regular season when leading in the third period.
Toronto News & Notes
The Leafs might have had one of the most prolific offenses in the regular season, but that success simply hasn’t translated to postseason results. Only three Toronto skaters have scored multiple goals in the series: William Nylander (four), Jason Spezza (three) and Jake Muzzin (two). Regular-season goal-scoring champion Auston Matthews has just one goal in six games.
Look for Matthews to channel his inner Alex Ovechkin in Game 7 as he looks to lead the Maple Leafs to their first second-round appearance since 2004. Matthews had seven shots on goal in Game 6 after finishing with just two attempts on target in Game 5; he played more than 30 minutes last time out and could spend most of the third period on the ice if Toronto is trailing after two.
Betting Pick: UNDER 5.5 (-135)
The Canadiens have done well to capitalize on some glaring Toronto mistakes, but the Leafs will prioritize a more responsible approach Monday. Combined with Price channeling his prime years, this has the makings of a low-scoring affair.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- The Canadiens are 3-8 in their last 11 games.
- Toronto has won 9 of the past 13 home meetings.
- The OVER is 7-3 in Montreal’s past 10 road games.
