- The Maple Leafs have Stanley Cup odds of +4000, the 10th longest.
- The Maple Leafs improved to 10-2 against the Bruins in Game 5.
- Joseph Woll made his first start of the playoffs, making 27 saves in the Game 5 win.
The Toronto Maple Leafs live to fight another day after beating the Boston Bruins 2-1 in overtime.
After the monumental victory, the Maple Leafs’ Stanley Cup odds shortened from +8000 to +4000. Game 6 will be played on Thursday evening in Toronto, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. ET.
Tuesday’s triumph proved the Maple Leafs will scrap, claw, and fight doggedly until their last breath. They beat the Bruins for the second time in the previous 12 attempts despite not finding a way to score more than two goals on Jeremy Swayman for an eighth successive game.
Sheldon Keefe’s team also prevailed in the face of stiff adversity, winning without Auston Matthews, who missed the game due to an unknown illness. His availability for Game 6 is unknown.
However, it will take something severe to keep Matthews out of the lineup.
2024 Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup Odds
| Rank | Team | Odds |
| 1 | Florida Panthers | +270 |
| 2 | Dallas Stars | +300 |
| 3 | New York Rangers | +300 |
| 4 | Edmonton Oilers | +450 |
| 5 | Colorado Avalanche | +1400 |
| 6 | Vancouver Canucks | +2000 |
| 7 | Boston Bruins | +2800 |
The Maple Leafs opened the season at +1000, implying a probability of 9.09%. Their current +4000 hockey odds to win it all accompany a winning probability of 2.44%.
Toronto Maple Leafs Strengths
The Maple Leafs have given the Bruins something to consider as the series heads back to Toronto for Game 6. Boston threw away a 3-1 series lead in the first round of last season’s playoffs against Florida, which should help the Maple Leafs believe a comeback is possible.
Knies to be taking the series back home! pic.twitter.com/f3nUeTT890
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) May 1, 2024
The Maple Leafs also came back from 3-1 down against the Bruins in the first round of the 2018 playoffs, eventually losing 7-4 in Game 7.
Tyler Bertuzzi, Matthew Knies, Max Domi, John Tavares, and William Nylander registered at least three shots on goal, picking up the slack in Matthews’ absence. Mitch Marner also had an excellent game. While he only had two shots, Marner had an assist and was dangerous throughout.
Marner has a point in three straight games and is playing more confidently as the series progresses.
Joseph Woll was outstanding in his first start, making several series-saving stops. In the third, he stymied Trent Frederic on a golden opportunity, one of his best stops of the game.
Woll was named the game’s second star, while Knies, the Maple Leafs’ overtime hero, was the first. While both deserve heaping praise, Toronto was superb as a defensive collective, suffocating Boston’s attack for most of the game.
At one point, the Maple Leafs outshot the Bruins 14-4. They came out of the gates with a heightened level of desperation you’d expect from a team on the verge of elimination. And they’ll need to be even better throughout Game 6 to force a decisive Game 7.
Toronto Maple Leafs Weaknesses
Toronto’s offensive woes continued in Game 5 despite peppering Swayman with 33 shots. It was the eighth game in a row the Maple Leafs failed to score more than two goals on Swayman. However, they finally beat the Bruins’ netminder for the first time in eight contests.
Matthews’ status for Game 6 is still unknown. The Maple Leafs are 25-12-0 without their marksman since the start of the 2018-19 season and should feel confident in their ability to win whether he’s in the lineup or not.
Returning home can be perceived as a blessing or a curse for Keefe’s team. Unfortunately, the latter has more accurately reflected their play at Scotiabank Arena this season. The Maple Leafs lost Games 3 and 4 at Scotiabank Arena and had the 18th-ranked home record in the regular season.
What Date Did the Leafs Last Win the Cup?
The Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in the 1966-67 season. Their 57-year drought is the longest in league history. Toronto has won 13 Stanley Cups and enjoyed two three-peats, one from 1947-49 and the other from 1962-64.
Who Has the Most Stanley Cups?
The Montreal Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups, the most in NHL history. Montreal hasn’t lifted the Holy Grail since 1993 and was the last Canadian team to win it all.
Toronto’s 13 championships account for the second most.