The Toronto Maple Leafs play their second game in as many nights on Saturday, as they host the Washington Capitals.
The pregame narrative: The NHL is back in full swing and Auston Matthews is injured again. I’m backing Matthew Knies to contribute in his captain’s absence while also taking a prop pick on Washington’s John Carlson.
Check out our Maple Leafs props vs. Capitals for the game on Dec. 28.
Maple Leafs props vs. Capitals
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Best Bet: Knies to score 1+ points (-106)
Knies plays important minutes for the Leafs, especially with Auston Matthews it out.
In the captain’s six-game absence earlier this season, Knies had five points and went 4-2 against this line.
He was kept off the score sheet in Toronto’s 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings last night. He still played 20-plus minutes, however, which is a good sign.
Knies continues to skate on the second line with Leafs’ top goalscorer William Nylander, and he ascends to the first power-play unit when Matthews it out.
The Capitals haven’t played since Dec. 23, which may seem like a good rest but it could result in them needing some time to get into the game.
Toronto’s talented offence has the potential for a big night — even on the back-to-back — and I expect Knies to be involved.
Key stat: The winger has nine points in the last 11 games in which Matthews has been injured.
Quick pick
Carlson to score 1+ points (+112): Washington’s offence has been on a downswing after exploding earlier in the season.
In December, the Capitals are averaging 2.4 goals per game (they average 3.7 overall). It appears the absence of Alex Ovechkin is starting to take its toll.
But that doesn’t change the fact that Carlson plays a boatload of minutes (24:00 per night) and is still a top point contributor for his team.
Carlson hasn’t recorded a point in five straight, but he still has 23 points in 34 games this season.
The defenceman has a point in half of the Capitals’ games this year (17 of 34), so I see some value with this plus-money price.
Matt Murray makes his second start of the season for the Leafs and I’m not sold on the rust being gone this quickly. In his first appearance against the Sabres, he allowed three goals on 27 shots against (.889 SV%).
And since the Leafs played last night, this game could see a lot of goals. If so, I’m sure Carlson would be involved.
Picks made at 10:31 a.m. on 12/28/2024.
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Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.