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Detroit Red Wings vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Pick
The Red Wings took the Lightning to the edge of a loss on Tuesday, but the Lightning ultimately escaped with 2 points in a shootout. The offence looked great without Bertuzzi in the lineup. However, there is a caveat with that game. Tampa was starting a goaltender who has spent his entire near decade career in the minors. The Red Wings got to take advantage of a guy who was only in net because of circumstance.
And they did just that, with 5 goals in a 6-5 loss. They won’t have the advantage of getting a rookie netminder in net tonight. Instead the Wings will have to deal with Frederik Andersen, who has been playing well for the Leafs with a 2.32 GAA and 0.931 save percentage. The defensive worries in Toronto have been calmed with the play of Andersen in net.
Overall, the defence hasn’t been as bad as advertised before the season started either. They’re 5th in the NHL with 2.61 goals allowed per game. In the NHL today that isn’t bad. There’s been an increase in scoring and the Leafs have been hanging in there. At home it’s been better, with only 2.21 goals allowed per game. Conversely, the Wings have allowed 3.5 goals per game on the road.
Coupled with their top-flight offence, Toronto aren’t a team to joke around about any longer. They are 2nd with 3.64 goals per game, tied with the Avalanche and trailing the Lightning in that department. Toronto have notched 3.9 goals per game in their last ten games, including 4.8 per game during their latest five-game winning streak. The return of Nylander will only serve to improve that even more. If you want to take the moneyline, look at parlaying with something else. It’s far too pricey to play straight up. I will take a look at the puckline on the Maple Leafs here to make it more affordable.
