Goals Should Come Quickly In Bruins Vs. Maple Leafs Rematch

Bruins vs. Maple Leafs, 7:00 ET

Saying that there is a difference between the NHL and the NBA is a bit of an understatement. The NBA had every team play yesterday with 15 games going every 15 minutes in an effort to represent how long it takes to vote. They are off today so that the players, coaches, and employees of all teams can go vote. They also claim it allows fans to not need to worry about getting to a game. I'm writing this article at 9:52 AM on Tuesday, and guess what, I've already voted. I think I could go to a game tonight if I wanted to. I'm thankful hockey has some sense and will fill the screen tonight as we have a play between the Bruins and Maple Leafs. 

For two years Boston looked like the best team in the league with the Bruins racking up wins. This season, they look rather average and are just 6-6-1 to start their season. They've been just decent on the road as well with a 2-3-1 record away from their home ice. Their team has struggled on both sides of the ice, but I'd give them a bit of credit for the defensive effort they've put forth to this point in the season. They are allowing just 3.23 goals per game, which isn't great, but it also isn't an insurmountable number. The offense has looked rough though, scoring just 2.62 goals per game. I am concerned that they don't have enough offensive firepower. Over the past five games, they've scored more than three goals just once and it was against the Maple Leafs in an overtime win. It is expected that Jeremy Swayman will be in the net tonight. He has a 4-4-1 record with a 3.16 goals allowed per game. His save percentage is at .895 for the year. He did face the Maple Leafs in the first game and he allowed three goals on 23 shots. 

Nov 3, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) skates on the ice before the second period against the Seattle Kraken at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Maple Leafs have a very talented team, but they haven't done a great job of using that talent this season with a record of just 6-5-2. They have four players on the team that have at least 10 points this early in the season which is good, and a bunch more that have at least five points. Unfortunately for them, they aren't translating the points into a lot of victories though. For the year, they are averaging just three goals per game, and they are also giving up the exact same amount. They do take more shots on average than their opponents which is a really good thing, and should help them in the long run. The Maple Leafs have lost three of their past five games. If the Maple Leafs score three or fewer goals, they lose. If they score four or more, they win. In their five regulation losses, they've scored two or fewer goals. Anthony Stolarz should be in the net and he has been fantastic this season, going 4-4-2 for Toronto and allowing just 2.38 goals against per game, and boasting a .919 save percentage. He was in the net when Toronto played the Bruins last week and allowed the four goals.

The Maple Leafs haven't played great hockey, but I think they should be able to find the back of the net three or more times here tonight. I'd be very shocked to see this as a 2-0 game or anything like that. The Bruins haven't been great scorers, but they should be familiar with the Maple Leaf defense tonight. I'm going to back the over 5.5 goals in this one. I think we should get six goals at least in this game. 

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