This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Picks: Toronto Maple Leafs 
at Boston Bruins 
, Game 7 NHL Best Bets and Player Props
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins battle in a decisive Game 7, with the winner advancing out of the Eastern Conference First-Round series to meet the Florida Panthers. Puck-drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. at TD Garden, and the game can be viewed on ABC and streamed on ESPN+.
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The Maple Leafs have won the past two games, including Game 5 in Boston, to dig themselves out of a 3-1 series hole. In fact, Toronto has won each of the past two games at TD Garden, but need to make it three in a row if it hopes to make it to the second round for the second consecutive season.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe switched gears, benching Ilya Samsonov after Game 4, and the move has paid huge dividends. Joseph Woll kicked aside 27 of the 28 shots he faced in Game 5 in a 2-1 overtime win, as Matthew Knies provided the heroics in the extra session. Woll stopped the first 22 shots he faced in Game 6, but lost his shutout with :01 left in regulation in a 2-1 victory at Scotiabank Arena. He is 2-0-0 with a 0.86 GAA and .964 SV% in two starts and a relief appearance in this series.
The big news for the Leafs is that Auston Matthews, who has missed the past two games due to illness, was on the ice for the morning skate on Saturday and was able to take part in drills. While the Leafs won the past two games without him, becoming laser-focused at the defensive end, it's silly for fans to ruminate about Matthews perhaps being the problem. The dude notched 69 scores in the regular season. If that's a problem, it's one a lot of teams would surely like to have.
Matthews was also named as a Lady Byng Trophy finalist on Saturday, along with Vancouver's Elias Pettersson and Carolina's Jaccob Slavin, just FYI.
Woll is obviously going to be the backstop for the Leafs in Game 7, while it's projected that Jeremy Swayman will again be the starter for the Bruins. He is 3-2-0 with a 1.60 GAA and .947 SV% in five starts in this series. The B's had used a rotation with Linus Ullmark in the regular season, but that's not nearly as effective in the postseason. Ullmark lost Game 2, and we haven't heard from him since.
Morgan Geekie ruined the shutout in Game 6, but it came with just a single second remaining in regulation. Charlie McAvoy also blocked three shots and dished out 11 hits to make his presence felt, while Charlie Coyle had two blocked shots and seven hits. Apparently, dudes named Charlie were amped to play.
Lastly, the Bruins are trying to avoid a dubious distinction. They won the President's Trophy last season, but blew a 3-1 series lead to the Florida Panthers in the first round. No team in North American sports history has ever blown a 3-1 series lead in two consecutive seasons, either in Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association or the NHL.
It's close, but it isn't going to happen in Game 7 on Saturday night. The Bruins will feed off of their raucous crowd, and I think Woll has a rough game when it matters most. For Maple Leafs fans, who wrote the team off after going down 3-1, only to force a Game 7, it will be like losing the series twice. The safe play is backing the Bruins, although the longer the Maple Leafs hang around, the more confidence they'll gain.
NHL Moneyline Bets for Maple Leafs at Bruins
- Bruins ML (-130 at DraftKings)
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The Under has dominated in this series, going 4-0-1 in the past five games. We had an Over result back in Game 1, a 5-1 victory for the Bruins at TD Garden. And that game barely went Over, as a Trent Frederic empty-net goal at 17:52 of the third period provided Under bettors with a bad beat.
In Game 3 in Toronto, the total pushed at most shops with a total of 6, and it was again an empty-net goal as the culprit. Under bettors were on the right side, but Brad Marchand ruined the bet with an ENG with just :36 left on the power play.
We saw elimination games on Friday between the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights, and the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators, go scoreless into the third period. We might not have that kind of defense in this Game 7, but it wouldn't be shocking, either. Go low, regardless. And at Caesars, you can get the best price at plus-money if you go Under 5.
NHL Totals Bets for Maple Leafs at Bruins
- Under 5 (+118 at Caesars)
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NHL Player Props for Maple Leafs at Bruins
There shouldn't be a ton of offense in this decisive Game 7. This will be a hard-hitting affair, with plenty of blocked shots. We won't have any flamingos out there, as rearguards sacrifice their bodies, doing whatever it takes to get the job done. Let's focus on blocked shots, a rare prop that doesn't get enough usage in 'normal' games.
Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly sold out in Game 6 in Toronto. Not only did he factor in on each of the goals, posting two assists, but he had a plus-1 rating, a hit and, more importantly for our purposes, five blocked shots. He didn't have a block in Games 4 or 5, though, so there is plenty of risk here. It's all on the line, however, and Rielly should be able to get in front of at least two shots in Game 7. It's expensive, but worth the play.
- Morgan Rielly Over 1.5 Blocked Shots (-185 at FanDuel)
As far as the home side is concerned, McAvoy picked up three blocked shots in Game 6, as he was a physical force. He had four blocked shots in the most recent home outing in Game 5, and in Game 4, he had two blocked shots. He is doing everything in his power to keep the puck from going into the back of his net. The rearguard should be able to get to three blocked shots in this one.
- Charlie McAvoy Over 2.5 Blocked Shots (-110 at FanDuel)
