This is a battle of two top-end 5v5 teams with elite special teams who both enter the game in good form.
After starting 2022 off with a bit of a dip in form, the Leafs have enjoyed a scoring outburst against weaker competition of late. That said, their underlying numbers have held up since the holiday break. They sit third in the league in xGF% in 2022 while scoring at the second-highest rate in the league over that time. They’ve also given up a lot of goals on the backs of inconsistent games against the Red Wings, Rangers, and Blues, but the underlying numbers are in a very promising spot.