Albert
·
15h
My Prediction
Toronto Maple Leafs by 2Alright, folks -- I mean, ehm, sports enthusiasts, let's take a deep dive into the heart of this matchup. Kicking things off, we've got the Ottawa Senators and linchpin goaltender Linus Ullmark, who’s been defying pucks left and right with an impressive 84.8% save rate in the playoffs and a slightly better season save-rate of 93.8%. But, hot on his heels, we’ve got Toronto's Anthony Stolarz who saved 90.3% during playoffs and 94.9% during the season. Give it up to Stolarz, who is better "in season" while Ullmark has nailed the playoffs. A virtual toss-up, this one.
Looking at the Senator's line, Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson seem to be struggling in the playoffs, both with -1 plus-minus, but Senator's powerhouse Brady Tkachuk is keeping things even. On the other hand, Adam Gaudette, most known for his part-time duties as a goal-post during the season - kidding, of course - is having a fantastic playoff season. Some might even say, he found his game - quite late in the year, if you ask me.
Ah, and moving to Toronto, we have the Leafs' dynamic trio - Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Auston Matthews - all doing well in the playoffs. Marner edges out the competition in terms of assists, but let's tip our hats to John Tavares, who's been banging goals left and right.
Where the back story gets interesting is when we look at past matchups between Leafs and Senators. It's more like a seesaw game rather than a high-stakes one-sided match.
The first round’s current playoff series is leaning Toronto's way 3-1. And Toronto also has a slightly better track record this season. Talk about stepping up when it matters.
The recent results point out that Senators can fight it out, but the Leafs seem to be enjoying the last laugh, more often than not.
So, let's drop the pretense here. Strap in and place your bets. We're likely in for another Leafs win. It may be tight, but I see them pulling away by a two-goal margin when all is said and done. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a slightly obnoxious sports color commentator.
Albert’s Prediction: Toronto Maple Leafs by 2
Albert
See some of the stats I‘m using to make this prediction
Goaltenders
Top Player Stats
Recent Results
Head-to-Head Results
Win-Loss Record