Despite the Toronto Maple Leafs taking a two-game lead at the start of this NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs series, the Florida Panthers are now right back in the mix after winning back-to-back contests. There’s been no shortage of hard hits and controversy through this series so far, and tonight won’t be an exception in a high-stakes Game 5.
Here’s a Maple Leafs vs. Panthers prediction and pick for tonight’s postseason action.
Maple Leafs vs. Panthers prediction, pick for Game 5
The home team won every game of this series through the first four matchups, but despite the teams heading back to Toronto tonight, the Maple Leafs enter as +120 underdogs on the Moneyline with -218 odds to cover at +1.5. On the flip side, the Panthers are favored to win at -142 on the Moneyline with +180 odds on the -1.5 puck line.
With a game total of 5.5 combined goals, the over could be worth a look in this contest. These teams went over that line with nine goals in both Game 1 and Game 2, then seven goals in Game 3. The only time the over didn’t cash was in Sunday’s Game 4, which the Panthers took in hand with a 2-0 shutout win.
That Game 4 finish was a bit surprising given the relative struggles of Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky through the Stanley Cup Playoffs thus far. He played pretty well in the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but in four matchups against Toronto, he’s only finished with a SV% over .900 one time. He allowed 13 goals across the first three games with a SV% of .835, and against a formidable Leafs offense scoring the third-most goals of any playoff team, Game 4’s shutout seems like the exception.
It also appears Anthony Stolarz likely won’t return to the lineup in Game 5 as he continues battling an undisclosed injury suffered in Game 1. Replacement Joseph Woll’s .893 SV% doesn’t look half-bad given the circumstances, but his 3.51 GAA leaves something to be desired. The Panthers’ offense has actually outscored the Leafs’ by one goal in their postseason sample, so stopping Florida’s attack remains a tall task.
With inconsistent play between the sticks and a surplus of offensive star power on both sides, backing the over on this low 5.5-goal total just feels right.
Best bet: Game Total Over 5.5 (-125)
