Maple Leafs vs Capitals NHL Odds & Game 1 Info

While there is a great deal of parity in the NHL, there are still some teams who are considered to be definite favorites heading into the playoffs. Sitting at the top of the list are the Washington Capitals, which is fair enough when you consider that they have just won the President’s Trophy for the second consecutive season. This award comes with a bit of a caveat, though, as it is no indication of how well a team will do in the playoffs. As dominant as the Capital have been in the regular season in recent years, they have done nothing in the playoffs, which is a trend that they hope to bring to a halt with a Stanley Cup winning run this year. The first hurdle they have to clear is going to be a tricky one, as they are going against a resurgent sleeping giant in the form of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The turnaround that they have made this season has been wonderful, and I think this series is going to be fun to watch.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Washington Capitals NHL Odds & Game 1 Info:

When: Thursday, April 13 at 7 PM EST Where: Verizon Center, Washington TV: USA Radio: Capitals Radio Network (1500 AM) Live Stream: USA Now NHL Betting Odds: Capitals -1½+135

Why bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs went from being the worst team in the league last year to a playoff team, and much of the credit for that turnaround needs to go to their first-round pick in the draft, Auston Matthews. The young man was nothing short of brilliant in his rookie season, scoring 40 goals and adding 29 helpers for a team leading 69 points. His scoring exploits helped the Leafs get into the top 5 in goals per game average this year, but there is still a little concern about their play on the defensive end of the ice, where their 2.9 goals allowed per game have them down near the bottom of the rankings.

Here is tonight’s @SchickHydroCA Battle Plan against the Capitals. #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/iTJInjPrfm
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 13, 2017

Why bet on the Washington Capitals

For the past few years, we have listened to the experts say that the Washington Capitals are going to make a big playoff run, but it never seems to happen. There is no denying the offensive brilliance of this team, as well as their solid defensive and special teams play, but it is that intangible playoff toughness that routinely gets called into question. We don’t really need to go into any real detail about the numbers that the Caps have put up this season, because it has all been well documented. The goal here will be to get off to a fast start in the postseason, and they can do that by jumping all over a shaky Leafs defense.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The Capitals took 2 of 3 from the Maple Leafs in their regular season series, and all 3 games delivered a lot of goals. Not so sure that Game 1 will follow the high scoring trend, as there are sure to be some nerves, but I do think the Capitals will get off to a winning start. Toronto Maple Leafs 1 Washington Capitals 4