For 55 years, the city of Toronto has been stuck in the NHL betting wilderness. Consider that the Maple Leafs last Stanley Cup championship was in 1967. It may as well be 1967 BC. Toronto was the final Original Six champion. Later that year, the league expanded from six to 12 teams. Things haven’t been the same for the NHL or the Leafs. Toronto has followed up strong regular seasons with playoff flops in the past few years. But this time seems different. Indeed, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning faces the end of their reign.
2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs Game 5
| Date and Time: | Tuesday, May 10, 2022, 7:30 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN2 |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | +1½ (-235) | 6½ (-120) | +110 |  |
| Leafs | -1½ (+195) | 6½ (EV) | -130 | |
| ||||
SBG Odds Overview – Are the Leafs the New Lightning?
Even in the worst of times, the Maple Leafs draw plenty of online wagering support. Cause by Toronto is the most popular NHL team on the board. But when the Maple Leafs are good, their fans are a force of nature. Sharps and squares alike have been stampeding the betting window for action on the Leafs. Account of two dominant Toronto wins in this series have they made converts.
Tampa Bay has won the past two Stanley Cup championships under trying circumstances. Everyone in the NHL has remarked how difficult the 2020 and 2021 playoffs were. The Pandemic almost broke the strongest of men. It made winning the Stanley Cup championship even more difficult than normal. And in the best circumstances winning the Stanley Cup is the most difficult accomplishment in pro sports.
As a result of their success over the two most difficult seasons in NHL history, the Lightning paid a tremendous price. And as the series with Toronto unfolds, we see a potential change of the guard. Tampa Bay no longer can stay with the younger and deeper Maple Leafs consistently.
Keefe Emulates Super Cooper
In the middle of the 2019-20 season, Sheldon Keefe replaced the legendary Mike Babcock as coach of the Maple Leafs. When Babcock was hired, Maple Leaf fans planned the parade routes for what was seen as a certain Stanley Cup championship. Instead, the players quit on what they claimed was the tyrannical Babcock. Keefe won a championship as the head coach of Toronto’s top farm team. Thus, he got called up to the big club to replace Babcock.
In like manner to Babcock, Keefe could not develop a consistent defensive effort out of the Leafs. And that was catastrophic for Toronto in the playoffs. So far, the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are different. The way that Keefe has transformed the Maple Leafs reminds observers of Tampa Bay‘s Jon Cooper. Once upon a time, Cooper was the young, dynamic coach with new ways when he took over Tampa Bay. He is now a veteran championship coach. Is Keefe on that path?
Lightning at Maple Leafs SBG Free Picks
In this situation, the Maple Leafs are getting strong play from their dynamic duo of Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews. Equally important is how goaltender Jack Campbell has been an NHL betting asset. In comparison, Lightning looks slower and lacks energy.
Lightning at Maple Leafs SBG Best Bet: Toronto Maple Leafs.