Maple Leafs Look To Get Payback Vs Penguins

The Toronto Maple Leafs (12-5-1) host the Pittsburgh Penguins (6-6-4) on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena. The Leafs are one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now, winning 10 of their last 11 contests, while the Penguins are 1-3-0 in their last four games. Toronto will look to get payback following the 7-1 drubbing they took from Pittsburgh on October 23.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Leafs opened as the home favorite at -175 on the moneyline with the Penguins as the underdog at +145. The total was set at 6.5 goals with the UNDER going 4-1 in Toronto’s last five games. Meanwhile, the OVER is 6-1 in Pittsburgh’s last seven outings.

Pittsburgh News & Notes

The Penguins snapped a three-game losing skid on Thursday with a 6-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Teddy Blueger led the way with two goals and an assist while Zach Aston-Reese, Jake Guentzel, John Marino, and Bryan Rust all tallied two points each. Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of the season in his fourth game overall and third outing since returning to the lineup on November 14. Tristan Jarry made 24 saves to record his first shutout of the season.

The Penguins will be hoping to start piling up some more wins as captain Crosby is finally healthy and back on the ice. Evgeni Malkin (knee) remains out but has started practicing in a non-contact capacity.

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Toronto News & Notes

The Leafs won their fifth straight game on Thursday in a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers. Morgan Rielly scored both goals while Jack Campbell stopped 27 of 28 shots for his 10th win of 2021-22. Campbell ranks first in save percentage (.944) and goals against average (1.63) among all goaltenders with at least three games played.

After a slow start to the campaign, Toronto’s big four forwards have all woken up. John Tavares and William Nylander lead the team with 16 points each while Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have 15 points apiece.

How Pittsburgh Will Win

Pittsburgh may be the underdogs against Toronto but this isn’t anything new. In fact, their lineup was a lot thinner in the last meeting this season – a 7-1 win for the Pens. The Leafs have turned a corner since that embarrassing loss, but it speaks to the ability of the Penguins’ roster to play above expectations. With Crosby back in the lineup, they could pull off another upset.

How Toronto Will Win

The Leafs have been one of the best teams in the NHL for a nearly a month now. Despite their reputation as a loose defensive squad their 2.39 goals against per game ranks fourth in the league, and they’ve allowed just six goals over their last five games. The offense is firing on all cylinders and Campbell has been nearly impossible to beat, so all signs point to a likely Leafs win.

Computer Pick: Toronto ML (-170)

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