Free NHL Picks Today For Round 1: Tampa Bay Lightning vs Toronto Maple Leafs 4/29/23

The Toronto Maple Leafs (-110) head to face the Tampa Bay Lightning (-110) at Amalie Arena on Saturday. The total is 6.5 (O: -110, U: -110)

FACING OFF

Toronto is averaging 3.44 goals per game for the season, eighth in the NHL, and they are taking on a Lightning team that is allowing 3.14 goals a game (16th).

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has found the net 3.45 times a game on average, sixth in the league, and the Maple Leafs are allowing opponents to score 2.76 goals per game (10th).

Don’t be surprised to see a few power play opportunities for the Maple Leafs, as the Lightning have been penalized 4.57 times a game, fourth-most in the NHL, for an average of 12.46 minutes (second-highest). The visitors are averaging 3.76 penalties (14th) and 8.75 penalty minutes a game (13th).

The Maple Leafs’ 26.04% power play percentage is the second-best in the league, while Tampa Bay’s 25.50% conversion rate ranks fourth. When it comes to defending power plays, Toronto has the league’s 11th-ranked PK% at 81.58%, while Tampa Bay is 17th at 78.93%.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With 99 points this season, Mitchell Marner is the top skater for the Maple Leafs. He is among the league leaders with 69 assists (5th) and has added 30 goals of his own.

In the net, Ilya Samsonov (27-10-5) is Toronto’s top goaltender by goals against average. He has a 2.33 GAA, fifth-best in the league, and a .919% save percentage.

Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning in scoring with 113 points (4th in the league). He has 30 goals and 83 assists (2nd) in 82 games. Andrei Vasilevskiy (34-22-4) is the top goalie for Tampa Bay with a goals against average of 2.65. He has a save percentage of .915%.

HOME AND AWAY

Toronto has won five straight away from Scotiabank Arena this season. Tampa Bay is 28-8-7 at home this season.

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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.