Toronto Maple Leafs Going for Four Wins In a Row

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers meet up for another two-game series, starting tonight in Edmonton.

Last week the Oilers visited Toronto for a two-game series that everyone thought would put the leagues too offensive talents on full display. What we got instead were two hard fought tight battles ending with Edmonton winning game one and the Toronto Maple Leafs coming way with a victory in game two.

Since last week both teams have played another two-game series. Edmonton split the two games, yet again, with Winnipeg Jets and the Maple Leafs took two games from the Calgary Flames in Calgary. The Oilers have yet two win back to back games this season while the Maple Leafs are currently on a three game winning streak.

Toronto currently occupies 1st place in the Canadian Division while Edmonton is sitting in 5th place, which would keep them out of a playoff spot. With the Oilers currently underperforming and the Maple Leafs seeming to be cruising through the competition, I would say the pressure to win tonight is squarely on the Edmonton Oilers. However, the Leafs want to be the class of the Canadian division and to do that they will need to sweep more series, as they did in Calgary. ( Stats and standings via nhl.com )

What the Maple Leafs need to do to win:

When Toronto and Edmonton played last week most expected to see a high scoring affair, with back and forth chances. Instead we got a tight defensive battle in game one with the Leafs and Oilers trading somewhat fluky goals, and Edmonton winning on a power play goal after a questionable penalty call. The next game was a little more open but still tightly contested with the Leafs scoring late in the third to break the 2-2 tie.

The Leafs found success limiting the Oilers scoring opportunities, taking away their speed through the neutral zone and forcing them to the outside. Toronto held Edmonton to just 13 high danger scoring chances over the two games they played. In comparison, the Oilers on the season, when not playing the Maple Leafs, average over 10 high danger scoring chances per game. ( Stats via naturalstattrick.com )

In order to take two out of two games from the Oilers all the Leafs need to do is play exactly as they did in the first two games. Take away time and space from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and continue to match up their big lines against Edmonton’s top two lines. The Maple Leafs have shown impressive discipline in sticking to their game plans all season, and since it seems to be paying off I expect more of the same in tonight’s game.

What the Oilers need to do to win:

The situation seems dire in Edmonton right now. The team can not seem to string together wins and their play has been inconsistent so far this season. When their offence is rolling they have trouble keeping the puck out of their net. When they focus on the defensive side of their game they can’t seem to score. In order to beat the Maple Leafs the Oilers will have to show more patience and capitalize on their opportunities when they get them.

When Edmonton relies too much on creating their own opportunities that is when they get into trouble and find themselves fishing the puck out of their net. The Maple Leafs are not a team that you want to trade chances with, even if you do have the best player in the world. The Oilers showed a lot of respect to the Maple Leafs young dynamic forwards in the last two-game series, sacrificing their offensive game to help the defensive side.

I expect the Edmonton Oilers will come out with a similar game plan tonight as they did last week. Even though the Toronto Maple Leafs looked like the better team in the last series, the Oilers’ best chance to win is to play a more “boring” style of hockey. Limit the scoring chances, hope for a lucky bounce or two, and score when you get a powerplay opportunity. Of course one early goal could turn this plan on its head, then I think we could be in for an entertains game.

Prediction: Maple Leafs win 6-3