Best NHL Playoff Prop Bets for Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Game 6: Can David Pastrnak Step Up?
By Nate Duffett
Something has to give in Game 6 of this series between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs.
These teams are facing off in a playoff series for the fourth time since 2013, with the Bruins holding a 3-0 record. The Bruins are 0-5 in their last five close-out games, while the Maple Leafs have lost six straight home playoff games. On Thursday night, one of those streaks will end.
The Bruins had to come back from a 3-2 deficit to win the series in 2019, but in 2013 and 2018, the Leafs came back from 3-1 down only to lose in Game 7. Will history repeat for the Maple Leafs, or will they finally hurdle their biggest roadblock?
It looked like the Maple Leafs season was over before Game 5. The team had dropped two games at home to fall into a 3-1 hole, and Auston Matthews was out of the lineup with an undisclosed illness/injury. No one would have been surprised if they bowed out in Boston.
However, the team persevered. Joseph Woll took control in his first start of the series, and the Maple Leafs forced a Game 6 back in Toronto on a Matthew Knies overtime winner.
The bigger story may have been the play of the Bruins. Jim Montgomery controversially changed his winning lineups from Game 3 and 4, putting in Justin Brazeau and Matt Gryzleck over John Beecher and Kevin Shattenkirk.
The Bruins were pinned in their defensive zone many times after losing faceoffs, the strength of Beecher's game.
Then, Gryzleck was caught flat-footed in overtime to get beaten to the net by John Tavares on the winning goal. Montgomery may now have to return to the lineups that worked in Games 3 and 4 and hope the team can regroup in time to avoid a Game 7.
NHL Playoffs Prop Bets for Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Game 6
- David Pastrnak Anytime Goal Scorer
- William Nylander OVER 3.5 Shots on Goal
- Jake Debrusk Anytime Goal Scorer
David Pastrnak Anytime Goal Scorer
David Pastrnak is going through an uncharacteristically quiet series for the Bruins. The superstar had high hopes coming into the playoffs, as he performed well against the Maple Leafs in his career.
His game has looked a bit slower, his turnovers have increased, and he hasn't had the same chemistry with his linemates, Pavel Zacha and Danton Heinen, as he did in the regular season. The poor play has sent Heinen down the lineup and added another notorious Leafs killer, Jake Debrusk, to the top line.
Bruins and Leafs fans alike would say that Pastrnak needs to play better if Boston wants to avoid choking away the 3-1 lead. However, you look at his game log and see he had points in the first four games.
Pastrnak playing his quietest hockey of the season and having two goals and two assists might be a bad sign for the Leafs in this game.
It feels like a matter of time before Pastrnak has one of his classic take-over nights. This game feels like the chance for Pastrnak to finally show up and get the Bruins into the second round.
William Nylander OVER 3.5 Shots on Goal
William Nylander has looked good for the Maple Leafs since being reinserted into the lineup for Game 4. Nylander missed the first three games of the series with a supposed migraine, and after shaking off some rust early in Game 4, he quickly became one of the Leafs' most dangerous forwards.
Nylander's importance to the team grew even more before Game 5 when Auston Matthews didn't come onto the ice for warmups. While he didn't tally a point, Nylander was dangerous alongside John Tavares and Matthew Knies, with his linemates eventually connecting on the overtime winner.
Nylander hasn't scored since March 26, which gives pause to the idea of taking him to score in this game like his former minor hockey teammate, Pastrnak.
However, Nylander must be his team's most dynamic forward to give the team a chance at another win. After shaking off the rust in Game 4, Nylander managed to get three shots on net. Then, in Game 5, he led his team with five.
Nylander and the rest of his star teammates have failed to show up in important games for the Leafs before, but this season feels a little different. If Matthews has to miss Game 6, Nylander's importance and ice time will increase even more.
Jake Debrusk Anytime Goal Scorer
We've been doing good on our shots on goal bets through the first round, but a special one-game slate allows the chance to take some more chances. Who better to take a chance on than the previously-mentioned Leafs Killer, Jake Debrusk?
Debrusk has scored goals in two of the Bruins' wins this series, having a big Game 1 with two goals and an assist, then chipping in another goal in Game 3.
In 2019, Debrusk scored a goal in a must-win Game 6 to force Game 7 and send the Leafs home packing. Without Debrusk, the Bruins may not have advanced to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals that season.
The best Debrusk performance against the Leafs came in 2018. He scored to tie the game at one in the first period of Game 7, but the Bruins still trailed going into the third period. Torey Krug tied the game a minute into the third, and then Debrusk had an end-to-end rush that still gets raved about in TD Garden, putting the Bruins ahead for good.
Nothing about the Bruins' performance in Game 5 or Games 5, 6, and 7 last season against the Panthers says they will show up and win this series on Thursday night. However, if they do, Pastrnak and Debrusk will lead the way.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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