Maple Leafs vs. Panthers prediction: NHL odds, pick Thursday
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a flurry of roster moves at the NHL Trade Deadline, including trading away Pierre Engvall and Rasmus Sandin and adding a trio of defensemen to an already-crowded blueline.
The early returns on the trades are not inspiring in a small sample — Toronto is 5-4-1 in its last 10 games — but that isn’t to say the Buds can’t turn things around.
Can Toronto get back on the right track with a win against the Florida Panthers on Thursday night?
Maple Leafs vs. Panthers prediction
(7 p.m. ET. ESPN+)
While the Leafs are sputtering, the Panthers are heading in the opposite direction right now.
Florida did post an ugly loss on Tuesday in Philadelphia, but that was on the second half of a back-to-back with their third-string goalie in net and was just the second regulation loss for the Cats in their last 10 contests.
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Perhaps most encouraging is that everything checks out under the hood for the Panthers right now.
In fact they’re starting to look a little like the team that won the Presidents’ Trophy last season.
Over their last 10 games the Panthers rank sixth in 5-on-5 scoring, third in expected goals per 60 minutes and third in high-danger scoring chances created.
Florida’s defensive numbers are also pretty strong in that span, as the Cats sit fourth in 5-on-5 goals allowed, fourth in expected goals conceded, and 12th in high-danger scoring chances against in that same span.
This is a team being rewarded for being in great form.
The Leafs, on the other hand, have some wrinkles to iron out.
For most of the season, Toronto posted some terrific 5-on-5 numbers, but since the roster maneuvering, things have started to dip, and not just a little bit.
Toronto ranks 31st in expected goals against and 29th in high-danger scoring chances conceded in its last 10 games, which is a head-turning shift for a team posting some of the best defensive metrics in the NHL for large chunks of the campaign.
Perhaps it’s just a malaise because the Leafs have known their playoff opponent for months now and are in this weird purgatory where their games aren’t that important.
Still, it’s definitely concerning to see a team start to wilt after making so many changes to its roster in the middle of a successful season.
And it’s hard to see things getting much better on Thursday as the Panthers, in their current form, are not the team you want to be facing while you try and sort out some defensive flaws.
