Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs Prediction: the Lack of Ottawa's Tournament Motivation

Prediction for the NHL Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs match which will take place on April 2nd. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available. 

The Senators won the previous two games – against Philadelphia (5-4 after OT) and Florida (5-2), a leading competitor in the fight to get into the playoffs. Currently, D. J. Smith's team occupies 11th place in the summary standings of the Eastern Conference but is only 5 points behind the wild card zone. So there are still chances to participate in the club's first Stanley Cup draw since 2017.

The Maple Leafs have already confirmed their participation. Moreover, Sheldon Keough's team will probably play Tampa Bay in the first round. The only task for the rest of the regular season is to keep the Lightning from getting ahead in the Atlantic Division standings. Toronto is doing an excellent job with this so far – four points separate the teams, but they have two matches in reserve.

In the last game, Toronto lost to Florida 2:3. The Leafs led the score but missed the advantage before the final and lost overtime. This loss was the fifth for Toronto in the last nine matches, although the team lost only three games in regular time during this period.

Toronto is the favorite of the upcoming game. The Maple Leafs are stronger than Ottawa, and they have been playing well against the Senators lately. Nevertheless, the lack of Ottawa's tournament motivation prevents us from betting on the team's victory.