The Toronto Maple Leafs were facing an 0-3 series deficit and on the verge of getting swept by the Florida Panthers.
But, they won Game 4 in Florida and have lived to fight another day.
Game 5 will be back in Toronto tonight, and the Maple Leafs are still facing elimination and will have to play mistake free hockey to force a Game 6 back in Florida.
Let's dive into the odds for tonight's game and then I'll give you my best bet.
Maple Leafs vs. Panthers odds, puck line, and total
Maple Leafs vs. Panthers prediction and pick
Despite winning Game 4, I still have no faith in the Maple Leafs to win Game 5, let alone the series.
Their shooting has been atrocious lately. They have scored just two goals in six straight games dating back to Game 5 of the opening round against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
In this series alone, they have a shooting percentage of only 6.56%. They can't bank on continuing to win games by a score of 2-1 like they did in Game 4.
The Panthers have also performed better in certain areas during 5-on-5 play. They have a 5-on-5 CORSI% of 52.22%, while the Leafs come in at 47.78%.
Toronto has continuously folded with this group in pressure situations dating back the past six or seven seasons. What makes this series any different? Especially with the top four players, Matthews, Marner, Tavares, and Nylander being largely invisible this series.
I'll take the Panthers as road underdogs to get the job done tonight.
–
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
