Toronto Maple Leafs (36-24-15, 15th in NHL) vs. Nashville Predators (39-26-11, 14th in NHL)
Puck drop: 8:00 p.m. EST
Arena: Bridgestone Arena
Watch: TSN4
Matchup Stats
Statistics courtesy of SportingCharts.com
| Stat | Tor | Nsh |
|---|---|---|
| Points | 87 | 89 |
| Record % | 0.58 | 0.586 |
| Home Winning % | 0.635 | 0.697 |
| Away Winning % | 0.514 | 0.444 |
| Shootout Winning % | 0.111 | 0.333 |
| Goal Differential Per Game | 0.21 | 0.24 |
| Shot Differential Per Game | -0.67 | 0.87 |
| Hits Per Game | 23.9 | 20.5 |
| PIM Per Game | 9.9 | 10.6 |
| Opponent PIM Per Game | 9.9 | 10.9 |
| Goals Per Game | 3.05 | 2.95 |
| Even Strength Goals Per Game | 2.28 | 2.18 |
| Power Play Goals Per Game | 0.69 | 0.62 |
| Shots Per Game | 32.1 | 31.1 |
| Shots Per Goal | 10.5 | 10.6 |
| Team Shooting % | 0.095 | 0.095 |
| Power Play % | 0.233 | 0.2 |
| Goals Against Per Game | 2.84 | 2.71 |
| ES Goals Against Per Game | 2.23 | 2.07 |
| PP Goals Against Per Game | 0.55 | 0.58 |
| Shots Against Per Game | 32.81 | 30.24 |
| Shots Against Per Goal | 11.55 | 11.16 |
| Opp. Team Shooting % | 0.087 | 0.09 |
| Penalty Kill % | 0.824 | 0.807 |
| Save % | 0.913 | 0.91 |
| Goals Against Average | 2.8 | 2.67 |
| Shutouts | 5 | 3 |
| Opponent Save % | 0.905 | 0.905 |
| Opponent Goals Against Average | 3.01 | 2.91 |
| Opponent Shutouts | 2 | 4 |
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines
Forwards
Leo Komarov – Nazem Kadri – Connor Brown
Zach Hyman – Auston Matthews – William Nylander
James van Riemsdyk – Tyler Bozak – Mitch Marner
Matt Martin – Brian Boyle – Kasperi Kapanen
Defencemen
Morgan Rielly – Connor Carrick
Jake Gardiner – Nikita Zaitsev
Matt Hunwick – Roman Polak
Goaltenders
Starter: Frederik Andersen (30-15-14, 2.66, 0.918)
Backup: Curtis McElhinney
Injured: Eric Fehr, Nikita Soshnikov, Josh Leivo
Scratched: Martin Marincin, Ben Smith
Nashville Predators Projected Lines
Forwards
Filip Forsberg – Ryan Johansen – Viktor Arvidsson
PA Parenteau – Calle Jarnkrok – James Neal
Colin Wilson – Colton Sissons – Craig Smith
Cody McLeod – Mike Fisher – Austin Watson
Defencemen
Roman Josi – Ryan Ellis
Mattias Ekholm – P.K. Subban
Anthony Bitetto – Matt Irwin
Goaltenders
Starter: Pekka Rinne (30-17-8, 2.49, 0.916)
Backup: Juuse Saros
Scratched: Kevin Fiala, Vernon Fiddler, Brad Hunt, Harry Zolnierczyk
Injured: Miikka Salomaki, Yannick Weber
Who’s Hot
- William Nylander: 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) during 12-game point streak
- Auston Matthews: seven points (four goals, three assists) during six-game point streak
- Leo Komarov: five points (two goals, three assists) in last four games
- Connor Brown: three points (two goals, one assist) during three-game point streak
- Craig Smith: seven points (one goal, six assists) in last five games
- Ryan Ellis: nine points (three goals, four assists) in last six games
Morning Skate: Mike Babcock, Connor Brown, Frederik Andersen
Morning Skate – Leafs vs. Predators – Mike Babcock, Connor Brown, Frederik Andersen https://t.co/IBwZ0cVa53
— Maple Leafs Hotstove (@LeafsNews) March 30, 2017
Out-of-Town Scoreboard
The Maple Leafs enter Thursday night’s game with an 84.7% playoff probability. A win tonight would move them up to 92.5%, while a loss would drop them to 77.2%.
With seven games left, a 4-3-0 finish to the season gives the Leafs a 99% chance at a playoff spot. Even a 3-4-0 finish at this point would give the Leafs an 81% chance of qualifying.
Lightning vs. Red Wings
The Lightning have won three consecutive games and are three points behind the Bruins for the second wildcard spot and four points behind the Leafs for third in the Atlantic Division. A Lightning win would decrease the Leafs‘ playoff odds by 1.7%, while a Lightning loss would increase the Leafs’ playoff odds by 3.4%.
Bruins vs. Stars
The Bruins lead the Lightning by three points and trail the Maple Leafs by one point; Tampa Bay and Toronto each have a game in hand. A Bruins loss would increase the Leafs’ playoff odds by 2.9%, while a Bruins win would decrease the Leafs’ playoff odds by 1.2%.
