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NHL - Toronto Maple Leafs +125 to rake Tampa Bay Lightning on road
Toronto Maple Leafs +125 to rake Tampa Bay Lightning on road
Game Time: Wednesday, November 25, 2009 07:05 PM ET
The Leafs are playing better than their record with seven losses in overtime and shootouts, and the Lightning are not nearly as good as their 5-0-4 home record suggests. Dog Toronto.
The Tampa Bay :Lightning may be undefeated in regulation time at home, where they are 5-0-4, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have played much better than their record and they probably have their best goaltender in net tonight.
The Leafs are 4-11-7, but their record would obviously be much better if they had better luck in those seven overtime and shootout losses, and they are coming off of a 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Monday where they got off an incredible 61 shots on goal. These factors have served to make the Leafs an underrated club right now, and they are worth following as decided underdogs in the short term.
The other significant occurrence in that Islanders game was the departure of goaltender Vesa Toskala in the second period with a groin injury, prompting his placement on injured reserve. Given the play if Toskala this season and the wrath he has incurred from Toronto fans, this a may actually not be a bad thing. Jonas Gustavsson should now get the start tonight, and he has the lowest GAA (3.18) and best save percentage (.900) of the Leafs goalies this year.
Besides, the Lightning are not really an elite NHL team, so we see their home record as a negative since they are nor nearly that good, meaning a return to normalcy is imminent. In fact, the visiting teams are 4-1 in the last five head-to-head meetings including a 4-3 Leafs victory in their last trip to Tampa last March.
Look for a repeat performance tonight as Toronto pulls the upset.
Free Pick: Maple Leafs +125