The Toronto Maple Leafs will be hosting Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night. The Leafs come into this game on a brutal five-game losing streak, all of which have been losses on home ice. The Oilers are rolling; they are 6-2-2 in their last 10 and on a three-game winning streak. The Oilers are the third highest-scoring team in the league, averaging 4.00 goals per game. The Leafs are solid offensively, themselves, averaging 3.29 goals per game. Where the Leafs have been struggling is defensively. They are averaging 3.52 goals against per game, which is 26th in the NHL. In their last four games they have not given up fewer than four goals. Sergei Bobrovsky is projected to get the start, and he has been awful this season to the tune of a 3.47 GAA and .881 SVP.
McDavid comes into this game on a 20-game point streak, and he has not been held pointless all season long. The Leafs usually get up for these big games against the Oilers, so I expect them to hold their own offensively. I think we are in for a high-scoring night in Toronto.
Oilers vs Maple Leafs prediction: Over 6.5 (-135) available at time of publishing. Playable to -145.
