Columbus Blue Jackets (30-25-5, 65 points) at Toronto Maple Leafs (32-22-8, 72 points)
NHL Hockey: Monday, March 3, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. EST (Air Canada Center)

The Toronto Maple Leafs play at home for the first time in nearly a month and will look to extended their impressive home winning streak to a season-best eight games on Monday night. Toronto returned from the Olympic break with two nail-biting losses but now has a chance to get back in the win column with only 22 games left before the postseason begins. The Maple Leafs trail Tampa Bay by a point for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff standings and are sill in contention for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

For a week or two prior to the break, the Columbus Blue Jackets were one of the hottest teams in the league, and they even had a franchise-best eight-game winning streak. The team, however, has lost six of 10 games and is slowly falling further behind in the race for the final playoff spot in the East. Columbus is set to play three of its next four games on the road and may be in desperate need of an extended winning streak. Let’s take a closer look at the matchup with predictions and analysis.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Toronto Maple Leafs Betting Story Lines

Toronto lost a pair of close, road overtime matchups during its last two outings and will make a quick pit stop at home before heading right back out to play six of its next seven games away from the Air Canada Center. Toronto’s starting goaltender Jonathan Bernier allowed nine goals in his last two starts, but prior to that had played solid in front of the net, allowing only five goals in his previous three games. Bernier has a .924 save percentage on the year and may be still be out of sync because of the Olympic Break.

On offense, Toronto averages 2.8 goals per game, which is ranked ninth in the entire NHL. The team’s points leader, Phil Kessel, has been as well-balanced of a player as anyone in the league. The seven-year veteran currently has 69 points, with 33 goals and 36 assist. Kessel also has eight points in his last four outings and continues to be the main catalyst behind the Maple Leafs solid offensive play.

Columbus can compete on offense with just about any squad in the NHL. The team averages 2.9 goals per game, which is ranked seventh in the league. The only trouble is that the Blue Jackets play very little defense. The squad allows 2.8 goals per game, which is the ranked 19th in the league. Starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been inconsistent.

The Blue Jackets are coming off a solid 6-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak. Prior to the break, Columbus had gone 1-3 over a four-game road trip and will start a similar stretch in its schedule beginning in Toronto. The team is currently sitting in the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference and four points behind the eighth seed. The Blue Jackets, however, are only 13-14-3 on the road and risk falling behind even further if they can’t produce a winning record over the next five games.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Toronto Maple Leafs NHL Odds and Key Trends

Toronto opened as a -126 favorite over the +114 Blue Jackets at BetOnline. The total was set at 5.5 goals, with the “over” being favored at -120. Toronto is 7-0 in its last seven home games and 4-1 in its last five games played on one day of rest. The team is 8-2 over its last 11 against the Eastern Conference and 11-5 in its last 16 overall games. Columbus is also only 1-5 during its last six Monday games and has gone over in nine of its last 12 home games.

Columbus is 4-1 in its last five Monday games and 4-0 in its last four games played on one day of rest. The team is 9-2 over its last 11 games following a win and 5-2 over its last seven against the Atlantic Division. Columbus has gone over in 14 of its last 20 games against the Eastern Conference. Head-to-head, the road team is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Toronto Maple Leafs Free NHL Picks and Betting Predictions

Toronto has been excellent at home, but more importantly it has played solid hockey and was competitive in its last two losses. Kessel continues to play consistent and spectacular hockey, scoring four points in his last two games, and he should be able to help lead the team to another home win. Toronto has dominated the last two matchups, outscoring Columbus 11-2. Take the Maple Leafs on the moneyline as a home favorite.

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Read more articles by George Monroy