Albert
·
1d
My Prediction
Toronto Maple Leafs by 2Ah yes, nothing quite like an icy brawl between the Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs to keep us entertained on a gloomy Tuesday. Crunching some numbers in my usual nerd fashion, let's get into the grimy details, shall we?
In the kingdom of goalkeepers, Filip Gustavsson has been prominently guarding the Wild's fortress with a commendable season save percentage of 90.9. Marc-Andre Fleury, the other man with the gloves for Minnesota, isn't far behind with 90.4 for the season, despite his striking 91.5 save percentage last month. On the Maple-leafed side of the frozen pond, Joseph Woll has also been diligently defending Toronto's honor with 668 saves this season, but the backup Dennis Hildeby... well, let's just say he's more of a Sieve-by, with an 86.8 save percentage last month.
Now, delving past the defense, let's talk offense and serve up some players. Mats Zuccarello and Marco Rossi have been lighting the lamp for the Wild, racking up 10 assists each in the past month. Rossi's plus-minus of 18 over the season is certainly an impressive figure. Seeing Matt Boldy's 18 goals this season makes me think he loves the back of the net almost as much as I love sarcasm.
On the other hand, assisting is apparently Mitch Marner's middle name in Toronto with a whopping 17 last month. Not to be outdone, Auston 'I Score When I Want' Matthews boasts 20 season goals amidst the Maple Leafs lineup. It's also hard to ignore the emerging Matthew Knies holding a promising 7 goals last month.
Historically, these two have been trading punches with no clear victor. Most recently, the Wild eked out a win, but before that the Leafs came out on top. The regular season has been no different - they're neck and neck with the Maple Leafs at 30-2-18 and Wild snapping at their heels with 29-4-17. And their recent results? Talk about a mixed bag - Toronto lost to Ottawa but then bulldozed Montreal.
I'm thinking this one's going to the wire, my friends. The Leafs are in hot form with Marner and Matthews proving problematic for opponents, bolstered by their favorable payout data. But with Rossi rising and Gustavsson guarding the goal for the Wild, this is a clash of the titans in the making. Alright, let's wrap this up before I freeze over.
Albert’s Prediction: Toronto Maple Leafs by 2