Adam Williams presents his prediction for the NHL match.
The battle for a top-three finish in the Atlantic Division is so tight that any of the contenders could end up anywhere from first to third. With the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers facing off directly, this matchup carries the weight of a potential four-point swing.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Last week saw the divisional lead bounce between the Maple Leafs and the Panthers, but so far this week, the Leafs have claimed it with authority. Two back-to-back wins in California laid the foundation: a rare road triumph over the Los Angeles Kings (3:1), where Darcy Kuemper stood tall with a 92% save percentage, followed by a tight victory over the Anaheim Ducks (3:2), despite Lukas Dostal’s solid performance in goal. Credit to the Maple Leafs' netminders as well: Anthony Stolarz posted a staggering 97.2% save rate against the Kings, while Joseph Woll followed up with 93.5% against the Ducks. Expect Stolarz to get the nod here after his recent form.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers will counter with Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes — the veteran who helped deliver the Stanley Cup to Sunrise. But neither Bobrovsky nor backup Vitek Vanecek could stop the Montreal Canadiens in back-to-back games (2:4 and 2:3 OT). In that second meeting, with Vanecek in goal, the Canadiens forced overtime with just 8.4 seconds left. Such low-scoring results were typical of the Panthers in March – 12 of 13 games went under 6.5 goals. They have won in regulation just five times in that stretch, and eight of those matches ended either in a draw after 60 minutes or worse — contributing to their slip to third in the division.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Prediction
With the Florida Panthers looking out of sorts and the Toronto Maple Leafs showing consistency across the board — strong goaltending, high-end firepower, and the league’s fifth-best power play — the Leafs should have the edge here. That said, Bobrovsky likely won’t allow a goal-fest, so a close, cagey battle is on the cards.
