Trent Reinsmith
- What: Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
- Date: Wednesday, February 1, 2023
- Location: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, Canada
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: SN, TVAS, NESN, ESPN+
In one of the two NHL games scheduled for tonight, the Boston Bruins head to Scotiabank Arena to face the Toronto Maple Leafs before the league takes time off before Saturday’s NHL All-Star Game in Las Vegas.
The two Original Six teams head into tonight’s matchup as the top two teams in the Atlantic Division. Boston is also the top team in the NHL ahead of the All-Star break, with a record of 38-7-5 for 81 points. The Bruins’ 81 points puts them nine points ahead of the second-best team in the NHL and the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes. Toronto is the No. 3 team in the East and NHL with 70 points and a record of 31-12-8.
Boston and Toronto have identical 6-3-1 records in their past 10 games. However, the Bruins have lost three straight road games heading into tonight’s contest. Before that losing skid, Boston had not lost back-to-back games during the 2023 NHL season. Meanwhile, the Leafs are coming off a 5-1 home win over the Washington Capitals.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for tonight’s NHL Eastern Conference matchup between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs picks for February 1, 2023
| Teams |  |  |  |  |
| Boston Bruins | -113 | -120 | -120 | -120 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +103 | EVEN | EVEN | +100 |
Boston Bruins breakdown
The Boston Bruins are in the midst of their first slump of the 2023 NHL season. Boston is 0-3 dating back to the team’s 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 26. The other two losses during the Bruins’ skid were a 4-3 OT setback to the Florida Panthers and a 4-1 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes. If the Bruins lose to the Maple Leafs tonight they will stay in first place in the Atlantic Divison and the Eastern Conference, but they will have to sit with that four-game losing skid for a while, as the team is off until it faces the Washington Capitals at home on February 11.
David Pastrnak has been a bright spot for the Bruins’ offense over the past five games. The right win leads the team in points (8), goals (3) and assists (5) over that span. Pastrnak has been the Bruins’ most effective weapon during the 2023 NHL season. He leads the team in points (71), goals (38) and assists (33). In addition, Pastrnak leads the NHL in shots on goal with 243.
Goaltender Linus Ullmark leads the NHL in goals against average (1.90), save percentage (.936) and wins (25), but he has losses in his past two outings, giving up three goals on 35 shots to the Lightning and the same number of goals on the same number of shots to the Hurricanes. Boston’s previous highs for shots allowed on Ullmark in January were 30 in two other games. The team split those outings.
Toronto Maple Leafs breakdown
The Maple Leafs‘ roster has taken some hits over the past week. First, on January 27, the team announced that it would be without Auston Matthews for at least three weeks due to a knee injury. Then, on Sunday, the Leafs lost goaltender Matt Murray, who will be out of action through the NHL All-Star break and Toronto’s bye week.
Matthews is the team’s No. 2 goal scorer with 25. He is third in points for the club with 53. His offensive talents will be missed. As for Murray, he has played in 19 games for Toronto and has a 11-5-2 record with a 2.73 goals against average and a .911 save percentage.
William Nylander and Mitch Marner are the key offensive talents for the Toronto hockey club. The two players have 59 points apiece. Nylander leads the team in goals with 28, while Marner is tops in assists with 41.
The team is going to miss Matthews. He eats up a lot of ice time (20:15) and is the only player on the team with 200 or more shots on goal for the season. John Tavares is second in shots on goal for Toronto with 184.
Bruins vs. Leafs in the 2023 NHL Season
The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs have played twice during the 2023 NHL season. They have split those games. The first meeting between the clubs came in November in Toronto, where the Leafs won 2-1 with Ilya Samsonov picking up the goaltending win. The second meeting between these teams took place in mid-January in Boston. The Bruins prevailed in that contest by a score of 4-3. Ullmark was the winning goalkeeper.
Best bet for Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
With Matthews out of action and the Bruins slumping, this is an interesting game to pick. That being said, I think the Bruins offense will carry the team to victory and end their losing skid at three games.
Best Bet: Boston Bruins to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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