Can the Toronto Maple Leafs Bounce Back From Shocking 3-0 Deficit?
Article By
Last Updated: 
Perhaps the most sobering number for fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs and bettors who’ve put good money down on them is the BetMGM Stanley Cup futures – the Leafs, who last week were at 4.5, are now at 26.0.
Is This the End of the Season for the Maple Leafs?
They’re warming up the golf carts at Magna Golf Club and other posh Toronto-area clubs where this current crop of hockey multi-millionaires are often seen on tee boxes during the summer months.
Frustration with the core group on the roster and the organization at large is again touching a high pitch after Sunday’s 3-2 overtime loss, a game the team had just 13 shots going into the third period. It last reached blow-up-the-roster levels after a 7-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1. The Leafs would win that series in six games, their first playoff-round win since 2004.
Core Players Need to Step Up for the Maple Leafs
Who among the core four in their lineup (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander) – representing $40.5 million in payroll outlay according to CapFriendly – stepped up off the opening draw in a vital game, where a loss would put them down 3-0 in the second round series?
It was the third and fourth liners who showed up for them Sunday – led by Sam Lafferty and David Kampf. Yes, they lost starting goalie Ilya Samsonov to injury, but no one is hanging that loss on backup Joseph Woll. He was solid, according to these eyes.
You are not going to blame Woll on the artful deke by Anthony Duclair on his goal, and the Carter Verhaeghe tying goal at 12:28 of the third period, a deflection off a body in front of the rookie goalie. The overtime winner by Sam Reinhart looked like a misread by Leafs defenders behind their goal, leading to Reinhart’s quick wrap-around before Woll could react.
Still, we couldn’t keep our eyes off the shot clock into the third. The players the Leafs count on to provide offence weren’t providing offence. They had a push to start the game – Matthews hit the post – but that intensity dissipated. No, they didn’t get any power play opportunities at all (Florida only had two), so go there if you want.
What's the Outlook for Maple Leafs vs. Panthers, Game 4?
Someone on Twitter described Marner as a “scared little boy” running around the ice. That might be a tad harsh. But how many turnovers did you see in Game 3, with Marner front and centre in there? Too many to count. Now in the hole 3-0 with Game 4 Wednesday in Florida (7:10 p.m. start), NorthStar Bets now has the series winner odds at Panthers 1.08, Leafs 8.75.
Proline odds for Wednesday’a game – moneyline is the Leafs 1.83, Panthers 2.00. Over at BetRivers the Moneyline is Leafs 1.82, Panthers 2.06.
If they are interested in making a substantive on-ice statement - rather than the social media fashion statements many of them seem to want to make, walking along the runway to the arena dressing room - they have one more chance Wednesday night.
Where do we go, in terms of projections? We have been so wrong about everything revolving around this team in this series we’re afraid to project.
What do you expect the Leafs to do? Eke out a win in Game 4, only to come home and get smoked on home ice for Game 5? After being the favoured team going into the Panthers series – and just last week being the odds-on favorite to win the Cup – what would be the most “Leafian” outcome for a city and fanbase that has 56 years of calluses from losing when it counts?
They aren’t going to win the series. But we think the core group will raise their game enough to get that Game 4 win, and Woll will be more than good enough in net, assuming Samsonov doesn’t play. We’ve seen enough of Woll so far. So take the Moneyline on the Leafs for Wednesday, but stay away from them when betting on the series outcome.
And for the curiosity seekers – BetMGM has the Panthers as Cup favourites, at 4.0, followed by the Edmonton Oilers (4.5), Carolina Hurricanes (5.0), Vegas Golden Knights (8.0), New Jersey Devils (8.0), Seattle Kraken (10.0), Dallas Stars (12.0) then the Leafs.
Stay In The Loop With Industry News, Insider Tips & More!
Live Betting. News and Industry Updates. Sent Weekly.
Updated by
Last Updated:
