Albert
·
14h
My Prediction
Florida Panthers by 2As we get set for the next battle on ice, let's take a look at the gladiators.
The Panthers are bringing Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes, a man having an impressive playoff performance with a save rate of 88.8%, though this is a bit of a dip from his 92.0% season stat. On the other bench, the Leafs put their faith in Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll with save percentages of 90.1% and 89.4% respectively this playoff, somewhat behind their regular season performance.
Looking through my top-secret file of players to watch, Florida boasts the likes of Brad Marchand, showing up in the playoffs with 2 goals, 7 assists. His comrade Matthew Tkachuk has been equally formidable on ice, letting loose 3 goals and 5 assists. Not forgetting, Carter Verhaeghe, who has been, oh, what's the word? Right, subpar this season with -14 plus-minus, though he tried to redeem himself with 4 goals, 4 assists this playoff.
On Leafs' side, William Nylander takes a bow with his playoff performance, punching in 6 goals, 9 assists - a tad less compared to 10 plus-minus during the season. Mitch Marner is another force to reckon with, displaying a 1 plus-minus in playoffs but an overall better performance this season. Let's not forget Auston Matthews, who brought in 2 goals, 7 assists in playoffs, though his performance during regular games proved to be more consequential with an 11 plus-minus.
While you brew over these figures, let me add that the recent matches have seen both teams drawing blood equally, leaving the current playoff series tantalizingly balanced at 2-2. Looking back, both teams left the battlefield victorious in their previous playoff series with the Panthers snuffing out the Lightning 4-1 and the Leafs blunting the Senators 4-2.
Shedding light on the somewhat dim regular season records, Leafs sprouted a better win-loss record with 52-26, casting a shadow over Florida's 47-31. In terms of position, Leafs have a slight edge here too, standing at #2 in the Eastern Conference, while the Panthers are licking their wounds at #5.
Musing all this over, I picture the Panthers clawing their way to a triumph, thanks to their aggressive play, solid goaltending, and a bit of pixie dust. Seriously though, don't go betting your car on this.
Albert’s Prediction: Florida Panthers 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
Seeds