The second-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs has largely been a back-and-forth affair. However, the Panthers blew their opponent out in a 6-1 win on Wednesday, and having taken three consecutive games, Florida now sits on the brink of advancing to the Eastern Conference Final. On the other side of the coin, the Leafs remain one game away from elimination, and yet another embarrassing playoff collapse.
Here’s a Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bet for tonight’s Game 6 ahead of the 8 p.m. EST puck drop.
Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bet
Make no mistake about which team sits in the driver’s seat at this point. Sure, Toronto went up 2-0 to begin this series, but they appear mid-collapse in typical playoff fashion having dropped their last three contests, including last game’s ugly loss at home. Is this just who they are?
Yes, but also no. William Nylander and Mitch Marner are doing their part with 15 and 12 points apiece this postseason, though both blanked across their last two appearances. Auston Matthews, though, still looks like he’s underperforming relative to expectations. The former first-overall selection has 10 points in this playoff run, but he’s only found the back of the net twice in 11 games. If Matthews can snap out of this funk with his team backed against the wall, they’ll survive to fight in a potential Game 7.
There’s certainly some risk involved here, but I’m banking on Matthews to finally rise to the occasion and score a goal tonight on the road. He’s too talented a player to totally collapse when it matters most, and this does feel like a bit of a trap game for the Panthers. When people zig, sometimes it’s better to zag — Matthews’ anytime goalscorer odds are set at +175 on DraftKings Sportsbook, so if he can shake off his recent struggles with tonight’s high stakes, there’s money to be made here.
