The Lightning open their road swing Monday in Toronto, trying to shake loose from a three-game slide. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m. EST at Scotiabank Arena, with coverage on NHL Network.
Tampa Bay (16–10–2) has won four of its last six away from home and still maintains one of the best goal differentials in the league despite an offense that has noticeably cooled. The Lightning netted just four total goals in their losses to the Penguins and twice to the Islanders, including a 2-0 shutout on Saturday.
Brandon Hagel continues to pace the attack with 17 goals, while Nikita Kucherov leads the club with 34 points and 22 assists. Toronto (13–11–4) comes in after a 2–1 shootout loss to Montreal on Saturday to close a three-game win streak where the Maple Leafs averaged more than five goals per game. William Nylander leads Toronto with 32 points, and John Tavares has a team-high 13 goals.
Goaltending points to an advantage for Tampa Bay if Andrei Vasilevskiy returns from his day-to-day status. He owns an 11–6–2 record with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. Toronto has rotated Anthony Stolarz, Dennis Hildeby, and Joseph Woll; none have more than six wins.
Spread
- Lightning -1.5 (+212)
- Maple Leafs +1.5 (-257)
Money line
- Lightning -113
- Maple Leafs +108
Total
- Over 6.5 (+100)
- Under 6.5 (-108)
Note: The above data was collected on Dec. 8, 2025, and may have changed since writing.
Lightning vs Maple Leafs Betting Trends
- The Lightning are 10-3 against the spread when playing on the road.
- The Maple Leafs are 6-10 against the spread at home.
- The Lightning have won 14 of their last 20 games.
- The total has gone under in seven of the Maple Leafs' past 10 matchups.
- The total has gone over in five of the last seven games between these.
- The Maple Leafs have won four of the last five meetings between these teams.
Lightning vs Maple Leafs Injury Reports
Lightning
- Nikita Kucherov, RW — Day to day.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy, G — Day to day.
- Curtis Douglas, C — Day to day.
- Dominic James, C — Day to day.
- Erik Cernak, D — Injured reserve.
- Brayden Point, C — Injured reserve.
- Ryan McDonagh, D — Injured reserve (lower body).
Maple Leafs
- Christopher Tanev, D — Injured reserve (upper body).
- Anthony Stolarz, G — Injured reserve (upper body).
- Brandon Carlo, D — Injured reserve (lower body).
- Joseph Woll, G — Injured reserve (lower body).
- Marshall Rifai, D — Injured reserve (wrist).
Lightning vs Maple Leafs Predictions and Picks
"The Lightning went from being fish grease hot to dropping three straight games and struggling to find the back of the net. The Maple Leafs have played their best hockey on their home ice, and the fact they've snagged some road wins suggests this team is starting to figure some things out. The Maple Leafs have won seven of the last nine games against the Lightning, often having a field day on the offensive side. This is a chance for the Maple Leafs to prove they've turned their season around." — Randy Chambers, PickDawgz
"I'm on the Maple Leafs in this one. I get the case to be made for the Lightning as Tampa Bay's been hot, but this next stretch of hockey is really important for Toronto to get back on track as they've been really inconsistent out of the gate, and this feels like a prime opportunity for a confidence-boosting win against a Lightning team that's in a funk right now. Toronto's been at their best at home and I think they pick up a big win over the Lightning here." — Chris Ruffolo, Sports Chat Place
"Toronto has been the more consistent team recently, and home ice matters in a rivalry game like this — especially given Tampa's cold scoring stretch. However, Tampa has the better defensive metrics, the stronger penalty kill, and the best goalie in the matchup if Vasilevskiy gets the start. My personal lean: If Vasilevskiy starts, take the Tampa Bay Lightning. If he doesn't, I'm on the Toronto Maple Leafs." — Kim Smith, Picks and Parlays
