Toronto Maple Leafs vs San Jose Sharks: 96.15% penalty kill leads the charge — our tips

Toronto Maple Leafs host San Jose Sharks at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday, 20 Oct at 10:30 am AEDT in a clash between two teams sitting side by side on eight ladder points. Toronto holds 18th spot overall with a 3-3-2 record, while San Jose sits 19th with a 4-3-0 record.

If you are hunting for top nhl picks, the numbers jump off the page right away. Toronto packs serious firepower across their last five overall starts, averaging 4.4 goals for per game. San Jose enters this fixture averaging 2.57 goals for per game across their seven season outings.

Who Will Win?

The head-to-head market sees Toronto installed as favourite at 1.6, with San Jose sitting at 2.35.

Toronto's special teams numbers give them a major edge. Their penalty kill stat jumps off the page at an outstanding 96.15%, backed by a strong 29.63% power play unit. Auston Matthews leads their attack with 6 goals and 7 assists, supported by William Nylander with 5 goals and 7 assists. However, Toronto is coming off a 4–5 loss against Buffalo Sabres at home on Friday, 16 Oct. Across their last five overall starts, the Maple Leafs have recorded two wins and three losses, conceding 4.2 goals per game.

San Jose arrives on the back of a 3–2 away win over Nashville Predators on Friday, 16 Oct. Leading scorer Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks with 2 goals and 6 assists. San Jose has registered two wins and two losses over their last four overall starts, but their 81.82% penalty kill and 20% power play rate trail Toronto's special-teams output.

Given Toronto's high scoring output and dominant penalty kill, the home side rates a real chance to get the job done at Scotiabank Arena.