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The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Boston Bruins on Wednesday at the Scotiabank Arena for Game 3 of the NHL Playoffs East First Round. The series is tied at 1-1. The games is at 7 p.m. ET and will be aired on ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS and NESN.
The Maple Leafs have the upper hand from their last game, winning 3-2. This game marks the fourth occasion since 2013 that Game 3 will be played in Toronto between the two teams.
The Maple Leafs have won their last two Game 3s against the Bruins, restricting them to two goals per game. Auston Matthews has found the net in both of these Game 3s.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Game Preview
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a 12-12-3 record against the Atlantic Division and an overall record of 46-26-10, have scored 298 goals in total, averaging 3.6 per game, which places them second in the league. At home this season, they finished with a 22-15-4 record overall.
The Leafs displayed a stronger performance in their second game, particularly on the defensive end, thanks to their star player Auston Matthews.
Matthews, who not only assisted two goals and made eight shots on goal, also scored the decisive goal in third period, leading the Leafs to a 3-2 victory and breaking their eight-game losing streak against the Bruins.
Despite a shaky start, where it seemed like the Leafs were going to fall behind 2-1 at the end of the first period, they managed a goal in both the second and third periods, which led to their victory.
The Leafs made 33 shots on goal, with Max Domi, Auston Matthews and John Tavares each scoring a goal. Goalie Ilya Samsonov made 27 saves, with a save percentage of .931.
Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins has an overall record of 47-20-15 and a 19-6-3 record against the Atlantic Division and have had a solid season on the road, ending with a 23-9-9 record.
In their last game, the Bruins led 1-0 and 2-1, but the Leafs tied the game in the second period. Jake DeBrusk played exceptionally well, scoring two goals and providing two assists.
The Bruins made 29 attempts on goal, with Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak scoring, Despite Jeremy Swayman's impressive performance in game one, the Bruins decided to go with Linus Ullmark as their goalie. Ullmark performed well, saving 27 of 30 shots, but it wasn't enough to pull off a win.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Injury report
The Bruins will be without Justin Brazeau due to an upper-body injury, Milan Lucic for personal seasons and Matthew Poitras because of a shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, the Toronto's Bobby McCann is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. John Klingberg and Jake Muzzin are sidelined with hip and back injuries respectively.
Matt Murray is also out with a hip injury, while key player William Nylander is day-to-day due to an undisclosed condition.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Head-to-head and significant numbers
The Bruins and the Maple Leafs have clashed 85 times in playoff games. The Maple Leafs have an all-time playoff record of 41-43-1-0 against the Bruins.
The Maple Leafs average 32.6% in shots per game, while the Bruins average slightly lower at 29.2%.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Odds and prediction
The Maple Leafs, being the favorites in the odds, have secured victories in 39 of 64 games and have won 39 of 62 games when the odds were lower than -114. That points to a 53.3% chance of Maple Leafs winning tonight's game.
Meanwhile, the Bruins, despite being the underdogs in 12 games, have had six upsets. When the odds have set Boston as underdogs of -106 or longer, they have a 5-6 record, indicating a 51.5% probability of winning this contest.
Prediction: Maple Leafs 5-3 Bruins
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins: Betting tips
Tip 1: Maple Leafs to win
Tip 2: Total goals over 5.5: Yes
Tip 3: Auston Matthews to score anytime: Yes
Tip 4: John Tavares to score first: Yes
Tip 5: Bruins to beat the spread: No
