Game 1 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers wasn’t short on controversy.
Sam Bennett’s elbow to the head of Anthony Stolarz wasn’t called a penalty on the ice, but it knocked Toronto’s goaltender out of the game and perhaps the series.
Toronto has vowed it will seek its revenge on the scoreboard, but Bennett’s history with the Leafs will test their discipline.
The Panthers are a -134 favorite to win Game 2 on the road, though the Leafs are now a slight favorite to win the series after taking the opener.
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Panthers vs. Maple Leafs Game 2 betting preview
Game 1 got off the rails quickly and stayed there. The Maple Leafs scored 30 seconds into the contest and were up 4-1 by the midway point of the second period.
That kind of script makes it hard for either team to settle into their game. Florida was chasing the whole 60 minutes, while the Leafs were able to sit back, defend and then counter.
Sergei Bobrovsky struggled in goal for the Panthers, allowing a couple of soft goals to allow the Maple Leafs to race in front early.
In other words, we didn’t learn anything new about these teams or this matchup in Game 1 besides the fact that the Leafs will be without Stolarz.
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Panthers vs. Maple Leafs Game 2 pick
Game 1 featured nine goals, including four in the first period, but that is not how I’d expect things to unfold for Wednesday’s NHL contest.
It took a confluence of events (an early goal, a struggling goalie and an injury to the other netminder) to get over the total Monday, and it’s hard to envision Game 2 unwrapping similarly.
I expect Bobrovsky and the Panthers to be sharper out of the gates, while the Leafs will do everything they can to make life easy on Joseph Woll in his first start of these playoffs.
The Play: Under 5.5 (-105)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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