The Toronto Maple Leafs (47-21-9-2, 32-44 PL, 34-38 O/U) battle the Florida Panthers (42-31-6-1, 32-45 PL, 40-28 O/U) in a divisional showdown on Monday night. The Maple Leafs earned a home victory against the Canadiens on Saturday. The Panthers recorded a road win against the Capitals in their previous bout. The Maple Leafs lead the season series 2-1.
The Toronto Maple Leafs begin their final road trek of the regular season in second place. This game has no effect on the standings as they are playing the Lightning in the opening round. They just want to avoid any injuries in these final three games. The Maple Leafs lost a 2-1 road decision against the Bruins on Thursday, followed by a dominating 7-1 home win against the Canadiens on Saturday. They are 5-3-2 in their last ten games.
Auston Matthews continues to produce, amassing six points in his last five games. The 25-year-old star hasn’t been as dangerous as last season but still has a stellar 39 goals along with 45 assists. He has four goals against the Panthers. Mitch Marner ended a three-game pointless drought with three points on Saturday. The 25-year-old winger is having another outstanding season, recording 98 points and a plus-16 rating. He has netted one goal and four helpers ag ainst Florida this season. William Nylander has two goals on the month. The 26-year-old is enjoying the best season of his career, netting 83 points.
The Maple Leafs have received strong goaltending this season. Matt Murray is dealing with a head injury and will likely not play. The veteran has a 3.01 GAA and a .903 save % to go with a 14-8-2 record. Ilya Samsonov has been the better option, recording a 2.36 GAA and a .917 save % accompanied by a 26-10-5 record. Toronto is scoring an average of 3.4 goals per game, ranking them ninth. They are limiting opponents to 2.7 goals, placing them ninth.