The Toronto Maple Leafs return to the ice Thursday to take on a surging San Jose Sharks team in the hopes of extending their recent hot streak with a 6-2-2 record over their last ten games. They’ll look to try and take down a Sharks team that has been lifted out of the basement of the league and has a 12-8-1 record over their last 21 games but are starting to slip with losses in four of their last six games.
Leading the way for the young group is 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini, who is looking like the first overall pick the Sharks drafted him as back in the 2024 NHL Draft. The North Vancouver native has been sensational this season with 43 points in 31 games and will look to apply the pressure on a Toronto team looking to dig their way out of an early season hole.
For anyone following the Pad Stack challenge, the approach remains unchanged. We start with $10 and build it steadily through disciplined, research-driven wagers. Our best run of the season peaked at $411.47 on Monday before a late empty-net goal by the Florida Panthers spoiled our Vancouver spread. Confidence is high heading into Saturday’s Leafs-Habs matchup, and we’re ready to make this one count.
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New Odds Suggest Maple Leafs Missing Playoffs
Struggling Toronto Maple Leafs face mounting playoff doubts with odds suggesting they miss the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Picks: Sharks +2.5 & Auston Matthews Over 0.5 Points (-109)
The Maple Leafs have had one of the league’s top offenses all season, averaging 3.34 goals per game, which ties them with the Carolina Hurricanes for fifth-best in the NHL. They have managed this even without captain Auston Matthews performing at his usual lethal level, as the Arizona native is averaging less than a point per game this season with 20 points in 24 games.
Matthews is starting to heat up, however, with three goals and three assists for six points over his last six games. He will look to continue this momentum in a matchup he has historically dominated, recording 13 goals and five assists for 18 points in 15 career games against the Sharks and scoring in all but two of those contests.
San Jose has struggled defensively, allowing 31 goals over their last eight games. This should give Toronto the opportunity to score multiple times, with Matthews likely playing a key role. However, the Sharks should not be counted out. They have been one of the best betting teams this season, holding a 21-10 record against the spread, and have won two straight games outright against the Leafs.
In nine of their last 13 matchups against Toronto dating back to the start of 2018, San Jose has either won outright or covered by at least two goals. Before that stretch, the Sharks had beaten the Leafs in ten consecutive games, marking nearly six years from 2012 to early 2018 without a Toronto win until they finally broke the streak.
The Sharks will aim to continue their recent success against Toronto and make it three straight wins or at least keep the game close enough to cover. A $10 wager on this same-game parlay would return $9.20, giving a total of $19.20 heading into Friday and the weekend.
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