Toronto Maple Leafs to beat Montreal Canadiens 

After a 5-2 win over Montreal on Thursday, the Maple Leafs got back to their high-scoring ways. With just three games left before Toronto has to prepare for the playoffs, they’ll want to make sure they ride into the postseason on a high note.

Not only that, Montreal is the most likely opponent for the Maple Leafs in the first round, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they want to send an emphatic message on the scoreboard tonight.

Toronto is 6-2-1 against Montreal this season and has outscored the Habs 31-23 in those eight previous contests.

As much as Toronto wants to send a message for the postseason, don’t expect the Habs to go quietly, even though they’ve dropped each of their last two games on the road.

Montreal’s goaltending situation is a little murky heading into the postseason with Carey Price still sidelined with lingering concussion issues. Jake Allen could get the start tonight after having to come on in relief of Cayden Primeau. If Allen gets the nod again, he’s 2-2-0 against Toronto with a respectable .911 save percentage.

Still, the Maple Leafs have been rolling over the last month, scoring at will. Auston Matthews likely has the Rocket Richard wrapped up as the league’s top goal scorer, but don’t expect him to slow down. He has scored seven goals in nine games against Montreal and has 13 points. As long as he’s officially in the lineup, he’s a good bet to hit the score sheet.

Winnipeg Jets to beat Ottawa Senators 

The Jets finally stopped their backslide into the playoffs with a big 4-0 win over the Flames. With games against Ottawa, Vancouver and Toronto to close out the season, Jets players have been talking about the importance of playing winning hockey as they enter the postseason.

With two days off, Winnipeg should be good and fresh to take on a Senators club that has really played well in the last few weeks as more of their younger players have taken charge of their roster. It’s not going to be an easy game, but this is the kind of game the Jets have to prove to themselves they can win before heading into what should be a tough playoff series, likely with the Oilers.

The Jets are 6-3-0 against Ottawa so far this season, but lost the last meeting between the two clubs five days ago when Ottawa eked out a 2-1 win. With Winnipeg’s renewed focus and their being on home ice for each of their last four games, expect a big emphasis on stringing wins together as they head into the postseason. Also, if you’re looking for some player props, Mark Scheifele has been averaging a point per game on home ice this year.

Edmonton Oilers to beat Vancouver Canucks 

Despite an impressive 6-3 win over the Oilers on Thursday night, I’m not sure we can bank on Vancouver scoring four goals on their first four shots of the game as they did the other night. Mikko Koskinen was brutal in net for the Oilers, leading Mike Smith to be called into action.

It’s unclear which goaltender will start Saturday night’s contest, but even if it’s Koskinen, it’s hard to believe he could be much worse than he was Thursday. Plus, the Oilers are 5-3-0 against Vancouver and have averaged 3.50 goals per game against them.

On top of that, Connor McDavid’s chase for 100 points in this shortened season continues. He is four points away with four games to go. He has 17 points against the Canucks in eight games so far. Expect him to have another big game tonight.

Florida Panthers to beat Tampa Bay Lightning 

The matchup is already set. The Lighting and Panthers will meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. So, even though these two games are somewhat meaningless with the standings locked into place, the Lightning and Panthers are both going to be looking to send a message about what’s to come in the first-round series.

The Panthers are rolling right now. They’ve won four straight while scoring a ton of goals. They’ve also won eight of their last 10, so they’re coming into the playoffs hot and have no interest in slowing down ahead of that first-round matchup.

The Lightning, meanwhile, are coming off of winning six of their last eight. However, they’ll be playing the second half of a back-to-back, having just played Dallas Friday night, losing 5-2. The Bolts and Panthers are also even in the season series to date with each club winning three games in the previous six matchups.

With the Panthers rolling and the Lightning playing on their second straight night, I’ve got to give the edge to the Cats.