- What: Eastern Conference NHL Playoffs – Round 1 – Game 5
- Who: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins
- Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2024
- Location: TD Garden in Boston, MA
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ESPN, NESN
Tuesday’s Game 5 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins is a high-stakes affair. With the Bruins leading the Eastern Conference series 3-1, Boston has a chance to move past the first round for the first time since the club made it to the semifinals in 2021. As for the Leafs, they played in the second round last year for the first time since 2004. A loss in the first round this year would be a step back for the Leafs. The Bruins won Game 4 of this NHL playoff series 3-1 on Saturday in Toronto.
The Maple Leafs posted a 46-26-10 record during the 2024 NHL regular season, putting them in third place in the Atlantic Division. The Leafs went 22-15-4 at home while putting up a road record of 24-11-6.
The Boston Bruins went 47-20-15 in 2024. Boston had a 24-11-6 mark at home and were a 23-9-9 road team. The club’s road record was second-best in the Eastern Conference. Boston finished the season in second place in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Florida Panthers.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference NHL playoff series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins, check out our guide to betting on the 2024 NHL Playoffs and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins betting picks – Game 5
Toronto Maple Leafs betting breakdown
Most of the talk following the Toronto Maple Leafs’ loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference series focused not on the team’s play on the ice but on the interaction between three of the club’s best players, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner, on the Maple Leafs’ bench in the second period. The three stars, who have combined for two goals and five points, were involved in what looked like a heated discussion that ended with Marner throwing his gloves to the floor. That frustration is understandable, as the Leafs, averaged 1.75 goals per game during the first four games of the Bruins’ series after averaging 3.63 goals per game during the regular season. The team’s loss on Saturday marked six straight home game losses in the playoffs.
Toronto’s 1.75 goals per game in the playoffs is the second-worst total in the postseason. Meanwhile, the Leafs are giving up an average of 3.50 goals per game. The club’s power play is an abysmal 7.1 percent, and its penalty kill is third worst in the playoffs at 53.9 percent. What makes things worse for Toronto is that they are getting shots, putting up an average of 31.3 shots per game while allowing 27.5 shots per outing.
Boston Bruins betting breakdown
The Boston Bruins are in a familiar spot, at least when it comes to wins and losses in a playoff series. The Bruins were up 3-1 against the Florida Panthers in the first round of last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. The team failed to close out the series and the Panthers went on to beat Boston in seven games. The big difference between the Panthers and the Leafs is that the Panthers were a team that was playing like they had a chance to come back and win the series. The Leafs are playing as if their season is already over. What the Bruins cannot do in Game 5 is take their foot off the gas. Knowing how their series ended last year against the Panthers, don’t expect a repeat of that series.
The Bruins played a complete game on Saturday, delivering their best 60-minute effort of the postseason. They made few mistakes, while capitalizing on the errors of the Leafs and got solid efforts from every player on the club. One noteworthy individual stat coming out of Game 4 was that Brad Marchand scored his 56th playoff goal, which put him first in Bruins’ post-season history, passing Cam Neely.
Boston’s power play is third-best in the playoffs, at 46.2 percent, and the team’s penalty kill is second, at 92.9 percent.
The Bruins have gone with Jeremy Swayman in net for three games this series. He has a .956 save percentage and a 1.34 goals against average, both of which are tops in the playoffs.
Best bets for Game 5 between Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins
The Bruins have the Maple Leafs out of sorts heading into Game 5. The betting pick is for the Bruins to beat the Leafs in Game 5 and end their Eastern Conference series.
The Maple Leafs need to win Game 5 to extend the Bruins, with that, expect the Leafs to be more aggressive on offense in this game, which will allow the Bruins to exploit any mistakes the Leafs make. With that, the betting pick is for the Bruins and Leafs to combine for over 5.5 goals.
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