Vancouver-canucks vs Toronto Maple Leafs Picks and Predictions February 8th 2025

Maple Leafs Vying for Four-Game Road Sweep on Visit to Canucks

The Toronto Maple Leafs aim to cap off a flawless four-game road trip and avenge a shutout loss to the Vancouver Canucks when the teams clash on Saturday night in Vancouver.

Toronto rebounded from a three-game losing streak with victories over Edmonton, Calgary, and Seattle. Their 3-1 win over the Kraken on Thursday lifted them to a 14-8-2 road record and positioned them just one point behind the first-place Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division.

Get expert NHL betting picks and stay ahead of the action!

Leafs Finding Their Offensive Groove

Rookie forward Matthew Knies has been a key contributor, scoring a goal in each of Toronto’s three wins on this trip. He now boasts five goals and four assists in his last six games.

Bobby McMann has also been on fire, extending his road goal-scoring streak to five games with a power-play tally late in the first period against Seattle. He has scored in four of his last five games overall.

“It’s fun hockey. Everybody wants to score goals, and I think more than anything, I just want to contribute and keep this team rolling with wins,” McMann said.

The Maple Leafs’ power play has been clicking, converting five of nine opportunities on this road trip, with at least one goal on the man advantage in each contest.

Goaltender Anthony Stolarz returned from a nearly two-month knee injury absence and made 26 saves in Thursday’s win.

“It was exciting. Obviously, missing that much time, you want to come out and have a positive result and get the two points. But the guys did a great job (Thursday), helping me ease back into it and letting me see a lot of the pucks, and I just have to make the saves,” Stolarz said.

Canucks Riding Strong Goaltending

Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko has been a force between the pipes, stopping all 25 shots in the Canucks’ 3-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday and following it up with 33 saves in a 2-1 overtime victory against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

“Demko was great. … I think we could’ve gotten the puck to the net a little bit more,” Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said. “In an 82-game schedule, you are going to have these games where you’re going to have to grind it and find a way to win.”

Demko made a clutch stop on top overall pick Macklin Celebrini in a 2-on-1 rush before Drew O’Connor sealed the win with a penalty shot goal just 33 seconds into overtime.

Ready to Elevate Your NHL Betting Game?

Find Top Predictions and Insights Now!

Join Now!

“They had a chance down on our end and we got a big save. I just tried to beat my guy up the ice. It was a nice play by (Filip Chytil) to get it over to me,” O’Connor said.

Vancouver has gone 5-1-1 in its last seven games but is still missing star defenseman Quinn Hughes, who has been sidelined for three straight games with an undisclosed injury. Hughes, the team’s leader in assists (45) and points (59), was a major factor in Vancouver’s 3-0 win over Toronto on Jan. 11, where he scored and assisted on another goal.

Can Toronto Stay Perfect on the Road?

With both teams in strong form and eyeing crucial points in the standings, this matchup promises to be an intense battle. Will the Maple Leafs complete their road sweep, or can the Canucks hold strong at home?