Tampa Bay Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs 4/20/2023 Picks Predictions Previews
East 1st Round – Game 2, TB leads series 1-0
The Tampa Bay Lightning will go against the Toronto Maple Leafs in East 1st Round – Game 2 action in Scotiabank Arena, ON, CAN, on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 7:00 PM ET.
In the first match of this set, Tampa Bay played well, establishing the lead early and then scoring goals in the final seconds of the first few periods to maintain momentum.
The Lightning will now try to lead the series 2-0 before returning to the Amalie Arena for games three and four. Tampa Bay averaged seven goals per game during the postseason, ranking first in the league going into Wednesday.
With three goals allowed per game, the Lightning is tied for eighth place in goals against. As they take advantage of 50% of their opportunities in the postseason, Tampa Bay is tied for second place with the man advantage.
With 50% of their shorthanded situations resolved effectively in the playoffs, the Lightning is tied for 12th in the league in penalty-killing.
In the first game, Tampa Bay quickly took the lead and held it the rest of the way to secure a convincing victory.
In the first period, the Lightning had a 15-10 advantage in shots on goal and went into the dressing room with a 3-0 lead.
Just 1:18 into the match, Corey Perry assisted Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to score Tampa Bay’s first playoff goal, and the team was off and running.
- The total went OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 matches.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning is 2-4 SU in their last 6 matches.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning is 4-2 SU in their last 6 matches against Toronto.
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Tampa Bay Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs Predictions 4/20/2023
Toronto had a strong regular season, but their playoff woes persisted Tuesday night as they trailed by three goals after one period en route to a humiliating defeat.
The Maple Leafs want to put that behind them and use their strength to tie the series. With an average of three goals per game in the postseason, Toronto is tied for fifth place in the league.
With seven goals given up each night, the Maple Leafs are 16th in the playoffs in goals against.
As of the current postseason, Toronto is tied for second in the league in terms of power play success, converting 50% of their opportunities when they have the man advantage.
As they successfully handle only 50% of their shorthanded situations in the playoffs, the Maple Leafs are tied for 12th in the NHL in terms of penalty killing.
In Game 1, Toronto was outplayed early and struggled to stop the clock on the penalty kill, which led to a loss and cost them a home-ice advantage.
The first period saw the Maple Leafs outshot 15-10, and after 20 minutes of play, they were down 3-0. Toronto trailed 6-2 at the second interval after being outscored 3-2 and outshot 14-10 in the second period.
At 8:06, Ryan O’Reilly scored the first goal of the Maple Leafs’ playoff run on the power play with assists from Mitch Marner and John Tavares.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs are 4-1 SU in their last 5 matches.
- The total went OVER in 8 of Toronto’s last 10 matches against Tampa Bay.
- The total went OVER in 4 of Toronto’s last 6 matches at home.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs. The NHL pick for this game is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lack of physicality was one of Toronto’s postseason issues in the past.
That wasn’t an issue on Tuesday because they outhit Tampa Bay 42-39. Their problems were losing their temper and penalty killing, as they allowed four power-play goals.
After Toronto got back into the game, the match penalty Michael Bunting received late in the second period resulted in two power-play goals and blew the game wide open.
As a result, their main players showed initiative, as demonstrated by Marner’s three assists, Matthews’ two, Nylander’s goal, and Tavares’ assist totals.
If Wes McCauley, Sheldon Keefe’s personal nemesis, isn’t wearing a stripe, then his team needs to be more disciplined.
As a hapless Leafs’ squad evens the score, give Toronto the advantage in this situation. The Toronto Maple Leafs will win to a predicted score of 5-4.
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Tampa Bay Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs 4/20/2023 Picks Predictions Previews
NHL Starting Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Scotiabank Arena, ON, CAN
Date: Thursday, April 20, 2023
TV: ESPN
NHL Odds: Tampa Bay Lightning +153
NHL Totals: 6