The Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs lock horns for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
The Panthers stunned the hockey world with a Game 7 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins, who set the regular-season record for most victories.
The Maple Leafs were finally able to pick up a series victory — their first since 2004 against the Ottawa Senators — over the Tampa Bay Lightning to reach this point.
Can the Panthers get the leg up, seizing home-ice advantage in this second-round series, or will the Maple Leafs get off on the right foot? We’ll discuss in our free NHL picks and predictions for Panthers vs. Maple Leafs on Tuesday, May 2.
Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 1 odds
Panthers vs Maple Leafs series odds
| Team | To win | Win in 4 | Win in 5 | Win in 6 | Win in 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | +145 | +1,700 | +900 | +550 | +600 |
| Maple Leafs | -170 | +850 | +450 | +450 | +400 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of May 2.
Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 1 predictions
The Panthers registered 15 goals in the final three games of the series with the Bruins, and Florida allowed three or more goals in all seven contests against Boston. Needless to say, Florida was very popular with bettors going high on the total.
The Maple Leafs scored 19 goals in the first four games of the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, while allowing 16 goals in the same span.
We could see some firewagon hockey early on in this series, as Florida and Toronto usually put on an offensive show when they meet. The Over is 10-4-1 in the past 15 meetings overall in this series.
In addition, Sergei Bobrovsky replaced Alex Lyon in the starting lineup for Game 4 and beyond against Boston. He picked up three wins in the final four games, but had a 3.94 GAA and a subpar .891 SV% in his five appearances (four starts) in the postseason.
The Leafs’ offense has to be licking its chops looking at Bob’s numbers in the Boston series. The Panthers likely can’t wait to get to Ilya Samsonov, either. He was 4-2-0 with a 3.14 GAA and a .900 SV% in his six games against the Lightning.
It’s actually difficult to predict which team will get off to a good start in this series. However, it’s nearly a certainty that we’re going to see a lot of offense right from the jump.
Roll with the Over in Game 1.
My best bet: Over 6.5 (-125 at SIA)
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Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 1 moneyline analysis
The Panthers not only picked up three straight victories against the President’s Trophy-winning Bruins to close out the series, but Florida has managed a 7-1 record in the past eight games on the road. The Cats have also managed to stack plenty of wins, going 7-2 in the past nine after a victory.
However, the concern with the Panthers is the fact they have dropped the past four in the Conference Semifinals round.
For the Maple Leafs, they finally managed to get into the second round after 19 years of disappointing results for their fans. They’re 8-2 in the past 10 games overall, too.
In addition, the home team has won 15 of the past 20 meetings in this series, and the Panthers are just 2-9 in the past 11 trips to Toronto.
The lean is to the Maple Leafs as moderate favorites in Game 1, but the stronger conviction is with the Over.
Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 1 Over/Under analysis
While Bobrovsky and Samsonov were able to get plenty of wins in the first round, they were both leaking oil along the way. Both had a GAA north of 3.00, so there is plenty of opportunity for the respective offenses.
For the Panthers, they cashed the Over in the final four games of the Boston series. The Over is also 12-5-3 in the past 20 games on the road, while cashing at a 4-1 clip in the past five on a day of rest.
For the Maple Leafs, the Over has hit in five of the past seven against teams from the Atlantic Division. The Over and Under did split in the four regular-season meetings, but the total has gone high at a 10-4-1 clip in the previous 15 battles in the series.
Panthers vs Maple Leafs betting trend to know
The Over is 5-1-1 in the past seven meetings in Toronto. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs. Maple Leafs.
Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 1 game info
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Tuesday, May 2, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 1 injuries
