More options are listed in the expert's forecast below. A statistical assessment is not an investment recommendation. 18+
Listen
Toronto's last two matches ended in identical defeats with a score of 4:5, although the team is doing well with the implementation of the moments. Now the hosts will have to face a completely different style of hockey. The Islanders try to act as strictly as possible in defense and rarely allow opponents to freely dispose of the puck near their own goal. However, the New Yorkers have not been very successful on the road so far. Who will be able to impose their conditions? We study the latest results in our betting tip and select a bid
Command Analysis
Toronto Maple Leafs
Kirill Marchenko scored a hat-trick against Buffalo, but even that wasn't enough to win. Toronto played the first two periods confidently and led 4 before the final twenty minutes.:2. In addition to the Russian striker, Auston Matthews scored. It seemed that the hosts would calmly bring the meeting to victory, but the Sabres managed to restore equality, and then scored the decisive goal in overtime (4:5).
This is the second such result in a row. Earlier, the Canadians lost to Utah with the same score, although before that they defeated Colorado (6:3). The Maple Leafs' offense continues to delight, with Matthews and William Nylander regularly scoring points. But there are too many problems with protection. The team conceded at least three goals in seven of the eight meetings of the season. An additional concern was caused by the condition of John Tavares, who ended the previous match ahead of schedule after a collision with an opponent.
New York Islanders
The Islanders have a completely different situation. Under the leadership of Peter Deboer, the New Yorkers have placed a serious emphasis on defense and are still achieving good results precisely through discipline. In the opening seven matches, the team conceded only 16 goals in game time. Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov are particularly good at acting, regularly helping their partners withstand the pressure of rivals.
The last meeting with Ottawa was an excellent confirmation. Mathias Machelli opened the scoring at the end of the first period, but then the hosts restored equality. The audience did not see more pucks in game time, and a shootout brought victory to the Senators (2:1). Varlamov blocked 18 of 19 shots and made almost no mistakes. However, the Islanders clearly lack sharpness ahead, especially without the injured Matthew Barzala. The team has not won at all on someone else's ice yet.
Right now, Toronto doesn't need to improve its offense so much as to finally get the game going without a puck. Even four goals in the last two meetings did not help to achieve victory. However, the Canadians have the opportunity to play differently against the Islanders. New Yorkers prefer cautious hockey and are not too active up front, so there may not be constant pressure on the defense of the hosts. At the same time, Matthews and Nylander are in good shape.
The visitors have plenty of experienced defenders and reliable goalkeepers, but it's noticeably more difficult to create chances without Barzal. In addition, the Islanders have not won a single away game yet. Toronto has already beaten this opponent at the start of the season with a score of 2:1. It is possible that now the hosts will have to patiently look for their chances, but they have enough opportunities to win.
Our prediction is that Toronto will win the match in 1.75
Liontips
