Toronto Maple Leafs Vs. Montreal Canadiens Outlook

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Don_Goldman]Don Goldman
Most National Hockey League spectators and experts may be leaning toward the Montreal Canadiens in the 2011-2012 rankings, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have won four games out of six as of their last game on October 20. That is compared to the Canadiens' one win and five losses. Canada will surely be watching this face-off on Saturday, October 22, when the Maple Leafs and Canadiens duke it out at the Bell Centre in Montreal. People who bet hockey online may want to take a look at the teams' performance in their last games before they make their decision for the three-game home stand.
Montreal vs. Pittsburgh Review
The Montreal Canadiens drew criticism on Thursday when they lost 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Analysts say that the Canadiens' lineup that night was strong enough to defeat the Penguins, even if forward Scott Gomez had to leave the game because of his injury during the first period. Some thought that the return of right winger Michael Cammalleri, who didn't play the past three games because of a leg injury, would also bring Montreal victory. Penguins left winger James Neal kickstarted the team's first period lead, but goalie Marc-Andre Fleury ended up being the star of the show with 27 saves. The two other goals were contributed by center Joe Vitale and right winger Arron Asham. Canadiens captain and right winger Brian Gionta managed to score less than two minutes to the end of the game.Canadiens goalie Carey Price was able to stop 29 out of 32 attempts by the Penguins.
Toronto vs. Boston Review
The Toronto Maple Leafs' performanceon the same night was no better than Montreal's defeat, losing out to the Boston Bruins at 6-2 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Spectators who bet hockey online and otherwise must have been ambivalent about choosing their team since the Bruins lost their previous game to the Carolina Hurricanes and the Maple Leafs triumphed over the Winnipeg Jets before the Boston bout. About seven minutes into the game, Maple Leafs' center David Steckel scored the team's first goal despite Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas, but the U.S. team quickly rebounded with a score courtesy of right winger Nathan Horton. Goaltender Jonas Gustavsson did his best for Toronto, saving 37 attempts throughout the game. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to stop plays including Bruins captain Zdeno Chara's one-time goal and Horton's rebound from a blocked 50-foot shot, also attempted by Chara. The third period saw Toronto's second goal, matched by three more from the Bruins.
October 22 [http://www.nhlpredictions.ca/]NHL Predictions
Sports enthusiasts looking to [http://www.bethockey.ca/]bet hockey online may want to check out blogs before getting comfortable about the Maple Leafs' chances in the upcoming game. Toronto may have won the October 6 game against Montreal, but its performance has been inconsistent for the past several games, losing to the Penguins after winning against Winnipeg and getting defeated by Colorado before that.However, Montreal appears to be less loved by experts, ranking lower in the forecasts than Toronto. Its single win out of six games is not helping the team gain public confidence, and analysts are worried that Carey Price may not be getting the help he needs from fellow Canadiens.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Toronto-Maple-Leafs-Vs.-Montreal-Canadiens-Outlook&id=6661093] Toronto Maple Leafs Vs. Montreal Canadiens Outlook