The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a tricky spot Tuesday night.
Not only have the Buds dropped two of their first three contests since NHL All-Star Weekend, but they’ll also be without No. 1 defenseman Morgan Rielly for a handful of games after he was suspended for cross-checking Ridly Greig in the face.
The temperature is always raised a few notches in Toronto, but a loss to the Blues on Tuesday night would put some serious heat on coach Sheldon Keefe and the Leafs.
Blues vs. Maple Leafs prediction
(7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Like most middle-of-the-pack teams, the Leafs have dealt with a number of problems this season.
Toronto’s goaltending situation isn’t necessarily stable and the blue line grades out closer to mediocre than above-average, but the biggest issue right now is a lack of depth scoring.
Toronto’s stars are good enough to carry the rest of the team on some nights, but if Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander aren’t putting up big numbers, the Leafs struggle to win hockey games.
Despite all of the chaos, the Leafs are still getting plenty of respect from the betting market and sit as -215 favorites at FanDuel.
That seems like a hefty price to pay on an inconsistent team that will be without its No. 1 defenseman, especially since St. Louis has come on under new coach Drew Bannister.
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The Blues have won seven of their last eight games, averaging 3.62 goals per game in this span, and are 15-7-1 since Bannister took over for Craig Berube.
The five-on-five numbers are still lagging for the Blues, but they have the firepower and goaltending to overcome some not-so-hot possession metrics.
Simply put, the Leafs are in no shape to be this big of a favorite against a dangerous opponent.
THE PLAY: Blues +176 (FanDuel)