The Maple Leafs have now lost seven straight games, and thinks will not get any easier tonight when they host the 7-2-1 Vancouver Canucks, who swept both meeting with Toronto last year.
It’s a north of the border match up with two Canadian teams who are having very different seasons when the Vancouver Canucks visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Poor Toronto…+130 to win with 5Dimes
The Maple Leafs are on a seven game losing streak vs. NHL Odds and the money line. "It's a little out of control right now," claims Leafs’ defenseman Brett Lebda. His teammate Clarke MacArthur added, "It's one of those things where it's like, 'Oh here we go again.'”
Spoken like a pair of born losers!
Poor Leafs….+137 to win with Pinnacle
Scoring goals is the start (but not the end) of their problems, as they’ve averaged 2.13 goals per game this season, that’s nearly half a goal less than at this point last year. And for those of you counting they’ve scored just 16 goals in their last 11 games.
Poor POOR Toronto Maple Leafs….+135 to win with Legends
It’s got to get better soon….not tonight though.
All of the smart money is on a Vancouver win. Most of the lines are around +150 but some go as far as -155 (eg. Legends)
The Maple Leafs have recorded just 27.7 shots per game so far this season and their top scorers - Clarke MacArthur and Phil Kessel - have had just two goals from 40 shots in the last eight games, and furthermore their power play record is 3 for 40 over the last 10 games.
Not good.
Let's stop there, but just add that if you want to see the betting odds on the Leafs, check out the SBROdds.com.
Vancouver are sitting on a run of 7-2-1 and you number-philes will appreciate the (almost) symmetry of Toronto being 1-7-2.
There’s being on form, and there’s being in form, and the Canucks are both!
They won both meetings with the Leafs last season, goalie Roberto Luongo played a blinder stopping 35 shots and Mason Raymond picked up a pair of goals in their 3-1 win last October and further back Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin and Alexandre Burrows shared five goals as the Canucks came back from a 3-0 deficit, to end up 5-3 winners back in January.
Let’s not waste each others time here…lets just agree to bet on the Canucks!
A terribly telling stat is that tonight the Leafs carry a seven game losing streak, their worst winless stretch since their 2009-10 opening which was a (count ‘em) eight game losing streak.
Talking of streaks the Canucks were rolling a fat six game streak when they met Montreal, who stopped it in its tracks, but they were back with a vengeance on Thursday when they opened up and took apart the Senators 6-2, down Ottawa way.
Daniel Sedin could barely wait and opened the scoring just 22 seconds in and a third period filled with four Canucks’ goals sealed a great bounce back game. What have the Leafs got planned as they attempt a similar bounce back?
Dare I say “the Leafs are getting desperate?”
The Leafs are getting desperate!
Toronto coach Ron Wilson recalled 20-year-old forward Nazem Kadri from the AHL Marlies on Friday. And it seems that Wilson is backing a forward who only played in one NHL game last season to be their knight in shining armor…
"Nazzy has the skills that our power play needs and if he does here what he's been doing in the AHL on the power play then it will pick up some steam,” said Wilson, before adding “I think."
I don’t see it myself and think a Vancouver shutout is more likely!
Up front for the Canucks, the leading scorers (with 18 points apiece) are the terrific Sedin twins, Daniel who has 3 goals and 3 assists and Henrik, who has 1 goal and 5 assists in the last five games.
Expect them to revel in the disarray that is the Leafs’ on ice farce in this NHL matchup.
NHL Free Pick: A comfortable Canucks’ win, over 5½ goals