Matthew Knies is quickly becoming an indispensable piece in the Maple Leafs offense and he will find his way back on the scoresheet in Game 2 after a strong series opener vs. the Panthers.
This article contains predictions for an old game!
We’ve got two games on the NHL betting slate tonight, including Game 2 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena.
My Panthers vs. Maple Leafs predictions expect another shining performance from Matthew Knies after a signature moment in Game 1.
Find out why with my NHL picks for this Wednesday, May 7 affair, with the puck set to drop at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and Sportsnet.
The Toronto Maple Leafs won the first game of the series, but winning a second straight against the defending Stanley Cup champs will be tough.
The Leafs scored an early punch with the William Nylander goal in the opening minute and rode that momentum to a 5-4 win.
The Florida Panthers should be prepared out of the gate and get a better result, especially with Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz out tonight.
Coach Craig Berube confirmed that Stolarz will miss tonight’s game due to the injury he sustained halfway through Game 1, and Joseph Woll will start after allowing three goals on 20 shots in relief.
The advantage in net now leans toward Florida, which will be the difference tonight.
My Panthers vs Maple Leafs pick: Matthew Knies Over 0.5 points (-125 at Sports Interaction)
Game 2. Round 2. Are you ready for the fireworks?
The Maple Leafs took Game 1 but lost a significant piece of their lineup in Stolarz.
The Panthers also made sure to take a chunk out of the Leafs toward the final whistle. I.E. Matthew Tkachuk’s cross-check and slash on Mitch Marner as the final whistle blew
I expect the Buds to rise to the occasion physically to establish that they’re not the Leafs of old and show significant pushback.
A player I believe can thrive in these moments is 23-year-old budding star Matthew Knies. His intensity and physical presence should allow him to be an X-factor tonight.
Knies’ point total is set at 0.5 and priced fairly well at -125 considering he’s on the Leafs’ top line and first power-play unit.
Toronto’s top line of Knies, Auston Matthews, and Marner is tied with an NHL-leading six goals as a trio at 5-on-5, averaging 4.35 goals per 60 minutes. As for that top power play, Toronto has scored on 27.3% of their opportunities.
The Leafs power forward scored the game-winning goal on Monday night, bringing his playoff point total to five through seven games.
Additionally, he’s second on the Leafs with four goals and is tied with Matthews for third in the NHL with 11 high-danger shots.
This is especially intriguing considering Florida netminder Sergei Bobrovsky’s high-danger save percentage is a lowly .769.
Furthermore, if the Leafs’ first line and top PP unit can generate chances tonight, Knies has a good opportunity to capitalize and find the scoresheet in some capacity.
Matthew Knies anytime goal
Matthew Knies 2+ shots
William Nylander 3+ shots
For the first leg of our SGP, we’ll mirror our best bet and take Knies to score an anytime goal. He has four already and his propensity to get to the high-danger areas gives him an advantage with Bobrovsky’s low save percentage on quality shots.
We’ll continue to ride with Knies and take him to record 2+ shots on goal tonight. He’s hit this number in four straight outings and five of seven during this playoff run.
For the final leg of my SGP, I’ll take Nylander to record 3+ shots on net. Willy seems to have found his groove with two straight three-point games and is building confidence again.
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Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction.
The Under is 4-6 in the last 10 meetings between these two clubs. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs Maple Leafs.
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Mike DiStefano joins Covers after a successful five-year stint with TSN. Distefano hosted Leafs Lunch, a Toronto Maple Leafs-centric radio show which featured a daily best bets segment where he found the biggest and best value plays of the night. He was also a weekly staple on TSN’s flagship radio/tv show “OverDrive” as a betting analyst during their NFL picks segment #TeamAl-DogForever.
A graduate of Centennial College’s Sports Journalism program, Mike has also contributed to the Canadian Baseball Network, FanSided, and The Hockey News.
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