A big-time all-Canadian Sunday night showdown will take place in Winnipeg as the red-hot Maple Leafs will take on an old North division foe from last season, the streaky Jets. With the Leafs banged-up and having played a tough game last night in Minnesota, this seems like a great spot for Winnipeg to add a signature victory to their early season resume.
Winnipeg haven’t gotten off to the start many had hoped for, or were expecting. Injuries, COVID, and a porous defense has really resulted in some struggles. They enter sitting 6th in the Central division, though a big win Friday night indicates some optimism going forward. It’s believed that starting netminder Connor Hellebuyck will get the call between the pipes. The former Vezina winner hasn’t been as sharp as usual this season, but has traditionally always played quite well against Toronto.
Toronto meanwhile has also shaken off the early season blues and are playing their best hockey of the season. For the first time in franchise history, the Buds have won 15 of their past 18 games, outsourcing their opponents by a score of 64-32 during that stretch. Sheldon Keefe has found some line combos and defensive pairings that can work, and the Leafs will be looking to continue their impressive stretch in Winnipeg. As they did play last night, losing a tough contest in a shootout to Minnesota, some of their lineup decisions won’t take shape until warmups. We are expecting Jack Campbell to receive the night off, and Toronto should instead go with former Jet, Michael Hutchinson between the pipes.
Though these teams typically don’t play against each other in a regular season, there is surely still some animosity following last year’s 8 North Division clashes. These teams had some battles, and Winnipeg still feels like they should be the class of Canada. It should make Sunday’s game an interesting one!
For added insight, betting news, trends and analysis – keep on reading beneath the current odds as we look to improve our stellar hockey record with another winning wager. Enjoy this matchup, folks!
Connor Hellebuyck is the November Player of the Month fuelled by @freshii!
Helle was among the league's best this month with a save percentage of 0️⃣.9️⃣3️⃣4️⃣ and a goals against average of 2️⃣.0️⃣0️⃣!
Claim a special offer HERE > https://t.co/WmSD7I6Q7D pic.twitter.com/YegQCUFLFF
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) December 1, 2021
Winnipeg Jets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Live Odds & Betting History
*These odds are provided by BetOnline.ag
| TEAM DATA | LEAFS | JETS |
| Overall Record | 17-5-2 | 11-8-4 |
| ATS Record | 10-15-0 | 11-12-0 |
| Home/Away Record | 7-3-1 | 8-3-1 |
| Goals Per Game | 3.1 | 2.9 |
| Goals Against Per Game | 2.2 | 2.7 |
| Shots On Goal Per Game | 34.1 | 32.9 |
| Shooting % | 9.0 | 8.9 |
Winnipeg Jets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction
Despite the fact that the Winnipeg Jets had to endure a hellacious start to the beginning of their regular season, they’ve righted the ship in recent weeks. Getting healthy bodies back has cured much of their offensive woes, while Connor Hellebuyck has returned to form between the pipes. The Jets have also been especially good at home, and are coming off of a big 8-4 victory over the Devils on Friday night.
But Sunday sees them go against a stingy and road-proficient group from Toronto. The Leafs are a real juggernaut right now, and aren’t conceding many chances against. When they do, goaltender Jack Campbell has been elite between the pipes. And though the Leafs are dealing with injuries to Ilya Mikheyev and Mitch Marner, this remains a deep squad.
That said, this will be their second game in two nights, and it’s believed that Jack Campbell will earn a rare break between the pipes. The Leafs aren’t nearly as good without him, and backup goalie Michael Hutchinson has struggled mightily in NHL action of late.
Look for the Jets to prioritize pouncing on the Leafs early, especially as the rested group. Mark Scheifele has rediscovered his scoring touch and with the benefit of last change, look for head coach Paul Maurice to have Winnipeg’s top line pounce on Toronto’s bottom-tier players. In particular, Justin Holl and Jake Muzzin have looked slow and old so far this season and that’s a tandem that remains a liability.
Despite the fact that Toronto is rolling right now, this is very much a ‘schedule’ loss coming for the Buds. A tough back-to-back spot, with some crucial injuries, and a third-string goalie – one would certainly understand if the Buds turned in a dud. Look for the skill of the Jets to really pile on Toronto’s defense, en route to a big victory.
What a night for Mark Scheifele! The Winnipeg Jets forward scored his 4th career hat trick. ??? #NHL #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/zH1zESO0RH
— For Future Considerations (@PodcastFFC) December 4, 2021
Leafs vs. Jets Trends To Know:
- Maple Leafs are 2-6 in their last 8 games following OT on the previous day.
- Maple Leafs are 4-10 in their last 14 Sunday games.
- Jets are 5-2 in their last 7 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game.
- Jets are 7-3 in their last 10 games as a home favorite.
- Over is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Winnipeg.
The Leafs have struggled of late in back-to-back spots, a sign that their goaltending depth beyond Campbell just isn’t good enough. In a long 82-game season, it’s tough to maintain intensity and consistency, and look for a road-weary Leafs team to show some signs of sluggishness on Sunday night. Winnipeg continues their good run on home ice.
