Florida Panthers - Toronto Maple Leafs predictions and free betting tips [16/04/2024]

The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up for a regular NHL championship matchup tomorrow morning.

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers wrap up their season with an impressive record of 51-24-6, amassing a total of 108 points. The team sits comfortably in second place behind the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division and is gearing up for the impending playoff-run. Sam Reinhart, anticipated to become an unrestricted free agent, has had a spectacular year, scoring 55 goals and giving 37 assists, which includes leading the league in power-play goals with a whopping 27. Reinhart occupies one of the top spots in the NHL individual goal rankings. The Panthers have demonstrated a considerable degree of consistency in their game, averaging 3.21 goals per game and successfully utilizing 24.1% of power-play opportunities.

The team also exhibited a solid defense, allowing only 2.42 goals per game. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been one of the main architects of the Panthers' successes, with victories in 36 games compared to 17 losses, letting in only 2.37 goals per game. Assisting Bobrovsky in goal is Anthony Stolarz, with a goals against average of 2.03 and a save percentage of 92.6%, finishing the season with a record of 15-7-2. Recently, Bobrovsky celebrated his 700th NHL game with a 3:2 victory over Buffalo, underlining his significant contribution to the team's success.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs are concluding their season with a record of 46-24-10, amassing a total of 102 points. The team occupies the 5th spot in the Eastern Conference and cannot improve its standing before the playoffs. Team leader Auston Matthews is on the verge of a historic achievement with 69 goals, needing just one more to reach the landmark of 70 goals for the season, which would make him the ninth player in NHL history to do so. In his recent games, Matthews has extended his scoring streak to several games, one of the longest streaks in the league this season.

The team exhibits a strong offensive game, scoring an average of 3.65 goals per game and capitalising on 24.4% of their own power-plays. In their last game against Detroit, despite a 4:5 overtime loss, Toronto managed to overpower their opponent and exhibited a strong power-play game. However, their defence remains the team's weak point, allowing an average of 3.13 goals per game. The goal-tending team for Toronto also demonstrates diversity: Ilya Samsonov achieved 23 wins this season with a goals against average of 3.13. 

Head-to-Head

In the 2023-2024 season, the teams of Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers have clashed several times. The last meeting took place on April 2nd, 2024, where Toronto emerged victorious with a scoreline of 6:4. Earlier on November 29th, 2023, Toronto pulled off an overtime win with a score of 2:1. On October 20th, 2023, Florida came out on top with a score of 3:1. In the May 2023 playoffs, the teams also squared off with Florida winning 3:2 in overtime on May 13th, and Toronto winning 2:1 in overtime on May 11th.

Prediction for the Florida Panthers - Toronto Maple Leafs Match

Florida, unlike Toronto, can still improve its standing in the East and potentially get ahead of Boston in the battle for the 3rd spot, my money's on their victory.