NHL predictions: Maple Leafs host Bruins for Game 3

The Battle for the Stanley Cup Heats Up

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are buzzing with excitement, and this Wednesday throws up three smashing first-round contests.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are back on their home turf for Game 3 having managed to grab a win in one of the first two clashes against the Bruins in Boston.

In a rather dicey Game 1, Dallas Stars' goalie Jake Oettinger could only block 11 out of 15 shots from the Golden Knights, resulting in a close 4-3 defeat. Dallas is now gunning to level the series in the next game.

Zach Hyman scored a hat trick helping Edmonton to a victory of 7-4 against the Los Angeles Kings in their first game, putting the Kings in a spot where they need to bolster their defense significantly if they aim to keep up with the Oilers in a high-octane scoring game.

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Even though the Maple Leafs took a heavy 5-1 hit in Game 1 and just about scraped through with a 3-2 victory in Game 2, they haven’t really been out of form. They've dominated most of the play at even strength and maintained a clear advantage in nearly all shot metrics, with more pronounced results when it comes to scoring opportunities and critical chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

In the first game, the Bruins showcased superior goaltending—a fair expectation—but also capitalized on the Maple Leafs' sloppy penalties. Despite a few more ill-timed penalties in Game 2, particularly late in the third period while trying to hold onto a slim lead, Boston couldn't make the most of it.

It really shouldn’t be too difficult for Toronto to maintain discipline, aiming for a bigger win in taking the series. Given their dominance over the Bruins at five-on-five, they're well placed to secure Game 3 at home.

Maple Leafs ML (-106*)

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The Los Angeles Kings are looking to transform their series against the Edmonton Oilers into a tightly controlled affair, limiting the Oilers’ ability to unleash their star players.

Besides Hyman’s hat trick, Connor McDavid put up five assists and Evan Bouchard added four in Game 1. The Kings are keen on stopping a repeat of such performances, but also let slip 45 shots on goal in Game 1, hardly a recipe for solid defense.

Despite the Oilers’ own lapses in defense, allowing 37 shots on goal, and although the teams did not surpass six goals in their four regular-season encounters this year, they racked up six goals in less than two periods to kick off the series.

If the Kings have their way, Game 2 should be lower scoring, but that's far from assured.

Kings-Oilers Over 6 (-114*)

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Dallas Stars’ young center Wyatt Johnston excelled in the latter half of the season, amassing 41 points from 128 shots on goal over his last 40 matches. He chipped in with an assist and logged more than 19 minutes in Dallas’s Game 1 defeat.

Johnston, alongside Jamie Benn and Logan Stankoven, managed to control more than 64 percent of expected goals in the series opener.

While the Golden Knights managed to eke out a win in Game 1, it was not a convincing one as they were outshot 29-15. Vegas has performed better than average defensively in terms of goals against and expected goals against, but they should not be expected to keep Johnston from scoring.

The Stars, eager to make amends in Game 2, will likely offer plenty of playtime and opportunities for their promising center.

Wyatt Johnston Over 0.5 points (-132*)

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