In the NHL, it would appear that the days of the dynasty are over. Sure, there are a few teams that have won the Stanley Cup more than once over the past couple of decades, but it is unlikely that we will ever see the level of dominance that the New York Islanders and the Edmonton Oilers displayed back in the day. We are in the era of salary caps and free agent moves, so teams are frequently broken apart after a run of success. One such team is the Chicago Blackhawks, as they have gone from the heights of multiple Stanley Cup wins to near the bottom of the Western Conference.
They are in rebuilding mode right now, whereas their opponent on Wednesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking at a big window of opportunity sitting open with their current squad. The Leafs are gearing up for a run at the Stanley Cup, but they are also still looking at picking up points to land themselves a better seeding in the East. Toronto is favored by 1 ½ for this one, with the O/U set at 7.
Blackhawks vs Maple Leafs NHL Betting Lines & Game Analysis
.@Bubzp11 is the first player to score a hat trick in his first regular-season game against his former team since Joe Corvo on March 16, 2008!
(via @PR_NHL) pic.twitter.com/6pMtKSuSw4 — Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) 12 de marzo de 2019
- When: Wednesday, March 13 at 7 PM EST
- Where: Scotiabank Centre, Toronto
- TV: NBCSN
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Betting Lines: Toronto Maple Leafs -245 (Total 7)
Why bet on the Chicago Blackhawks?
The Chicago Blackhawks are currently sitting in the cellar of the Central Division, which would suggest that any hope of being a playoff team this year is now gone. That is actually not the case, though, as they are sitting just 6 points off the pace being set by the team holding the final Wild Card spot in the conference.
While that gap may be relatively small, time is starting to run out for Chicago, but they are putting up a fight. They come into this one having won 3 straight games, as well as 6 of their last 10, and with Patrick Kane up among the scoring leaders in the NHL, they have a guy who can change games in a heartbeat. The downside is that the Blackhawks are 14-17-3 on the road and have lost 3 straight to Toronto. They are 18-16 ATS away from home.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.39
- Shots: 32.42
- PP/PK Percentage: 20.75
Defense
- Goals: 3.71
- Shots: 34.75
- PP/PK Percentage: 26.67
Why bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs?
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made some serious headway over the last few seasons, but their humbling defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning the other night shows that they still have some work to do. The Leafs are currently sitting in 3rd in the Atlantic Division, well off the pace being set by the Lightning, although just 4 points back of the Boston Bruins in second.
Despite that defeat earlier in the week, the Leafs are still on a decent run of form, going 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. They have also been very good on home ice, going 21-13-1, which is actually slightly worse than their stellar road record. While Toronto has won all 3 previous meetings with Chicago, all 3 games were decided by a single goal. At home this season, the Leafs are 16-19 ATS.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.57
- Shots: 32.22
- PP/PK Percentage: 22.47
Defense
- Goals: 2.88
- Shots: 33.13
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.66
Blackhawks vs Maple Leafs NHL Betting Trends
- Chicago is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
- Chicago is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
- The total has gone OVER in 10 of Chicago’s last 12 games on the road
- Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
- Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto’s last 5 games at home
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Blackhawks vs Maple Leafs
If there is one thing that we can expect from this game, it’s goals. The last 3 meetings have delivered an average of over 8 GPG so that O/U of 7 does not look quite so unattainable. I am on the Leafs to win this one by a single goal.
Score: Chicago Blackhawks 4 – Toronto Maple Leafs 5
