Welcome to the latest edition of NHL Predictions. Each day, our team here at Last Word on Hockey breaks down head-to-head matchups and other key elements that may influence the outcome of each game. Today, we are going north of the border for the St. Louis Blues vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs.
NHL Predictions
St. Louis Blues (4-3-0) at Toronto Maple Leafs (4-3-0)
Time: 7:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, TSN4, ESPN+
The Blues and Maple Leafs will meet Thursday night in Ontario for their first matchup of the season. The Blues lead the all-time series against the Maple Leafs, 121-110-25-2. However, the Maple Leafs swept the season series last year. The game will feature two stars of the game today, with Auston Matthews squaring off against Jordan Kyrou. Both teams are coming off of tough losses and have had a day of rest to prepare for Thursday’s game.
This game will be notable for Maple Leafs Craig Berube facing his former team for the first time. Berube will forever be known as the head coach who helped the Blues win their first Stanley Cup in 2019. However, his firing from the Blues was a disappointing end to his time in St. Louis. Now behind the bench for the Maple Leafs, Berube is committed to bringing the Stanley Cup back to Toronto.
The Blues Story
The Blues lost their last game on Tuesday. While the team lost on the scoreboard, they suffered an even bigger loss on the ice. Centre Robert Thomas, an 86-point player last year, was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. The 2024 All-Star will not be re-evaluated until early December. In Thomas’s absence, the team will look for others to step up.
On a positive note, the Blues are expected to see a veteran return to the lineup. Oskar Sundqvist was activated from injured reserve on Wednesday and is expected to be in the lineup on Thursday. The native from Sweden has had two separate stints with the Blues, having played in 71 regular-season games for the Blue Note.
The Maple Leafs Story
The Maple Leafs are 4-3-0 on the young season, with the usual Leafs leading the way. Furthermore, the Leafs have enjoyed production from newcomer Max Pacioretty, who has scored two goals in five games in his first season in Toronto. Between the pipes, Anthony Stolarz has had a strong start, posting a 1.83 goals against average alongside a .938 save percentage.
While the forwards have been chipping in on offence, the Maple Leafs will be hoping to see contributions from the defencemen. Only Morgan Rielly has scored. While the defence does have 11 assists, four of them have come from Oliver Ekman-Larsson. While it only has been seven games, the Leafs will want to see that trend reverse.
After a disappointing game on Tuesday, the Leafs will look to right the ship before a divisional game against Boston this weekend. This is an important stretch of games for the Maple Leafs.
Prediction
“Revenge” games are always interesting. Thursday will be no exception. Berube will be facing off against his old team, the team who he helped win the Cup with and then was fired by. No, it is not as black and white as that last statement makes it sound, but that is the narrative many will be thinking about. In a moment of revenge, Berube and the Maple Leafs will get the win.
Furthermore, let us add one more prediction. Following Berube’s firing, Blues forward Jordan Kyrou had some interesting comments about his former coach, confirming a rocky relationship between the two. We are going to predict that another former Blue, Ryan Reaves, delivers a hard hit on Kyrou during the game at some point. It will not have any correlation to the Berube situation, but it will still get people talking.
Prediction: Maple Leafs win, 5-2.
Prop Bets
The over/under by FanDuel is set at 6.5 goals. We are taking the over by just a little, at seven goals.
Today, we are going to get specific with our prop bets, because why not? We like Max Domi scoring the first goal of the game at +2400. In addition, we are taking Jordan Kyrou scoring two goals at +1800. Yes, he is going to get rocked by Ryan Reaves, but he will light the lamp twice.
Lastly, we are taking the 60-minute correct score of 5-2 at +1400.
As always, Last Word On Hockey encourages you to bet responsibly. Remember, watching the game of hockey is the ultimate jackpot.
Main Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions, some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
