This Week in Canada NHL for April 11

Last week was a very good week for most of the Canadian NHL teams. With Ontario sports betting launching on April 4, the timing was perfect.

The teams that helped bettors the most were the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks. Yes, the Canucks.

Vancouver Strikes Back

The Canucks were favored in two games against the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks. However, few expected them to go into Vegas and demolish the Vegas Golden Knights.

Peter DeBoer called it the “worst performance he had seen from Vegas all season.” Give a lot of credit to Vancouver. They were large underdogs and dominated in a 5-1 triumph from start to finish.

Vancouver turned that road win into a streak with two more wins against teams they should have beaten.

Not only that, the Canucks also covered the puckline. Vancouver scored 14 times in the three games as the team Over was an easy bet vs. Arizona and San Jose. Both teams are seeing what they have for next year.

Still, a team has to finish what they started. Unfortunately, Vancouver is a tough team to gauge sometimes.

The last two contests of the week were easy. It has become one fun ride again with the Canucks. Just when they look eliminated, Vancouver rises. This is still an uphill battle and tall order, but Canadian sports bettors should be intrigued.

Toronto and Auston Matthews

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a “cash cow” for Ontario sports bettors, which involves one Auston Matthews.

The Toronto center has been a money-making machine from several fronts. Take a look over his past five games. Matthews has eight goals, four assists, and a mind-blowing 37 shots on goal.

The anytime goal prop bet for Matthews has slipped to around even money for weeks now.

It is even more about exploiting the point props. It is advisable to watch sites this week for the following reason. The shot prop, which had been anchored around 3.5 for Matthews, expects to go up. Considering that he is averaging 7.4 in this span, few should be surprised. His season average is approaching five a night.

With his rate of goal scoring at one per game over the past 50 contests, Matthews is a good bet.

Add in that Toronto is 8-1-1 in their past 10 games and the Maple Leafs garner even more attention from a wagering perspective.

Overall, Toronto has scored 43 goals in their past eight games. They show few signs of slowing down.

Calgary Flames Go Familiar Route To Bounce Back

For the first couple of months of the 2021-22 season, the Calgary Flames were one of the best road teams in the NHL.

They found ways to win, kept things entertaining for wagerers, and Anthony Mangiapane became a household name for scoring 16 road goals in his first 17 road tilts.

What was lost in that great road start was the play of Calgary’s top line and, naturally, Jacob Markstrom.

Markstrom has enjoyed an incredible season for the Flames. The past three starts, all on the road, have been like cookie-cutter games.

Markstrom won all three while allowing just five goals. The goalie zoomed past his wins prop and shutouts prop. He has 34 and 9, respectively. There are still 10 games to go.

Though Johnny Gaudreau and the top line did not figure as prominently in the game against Seattle, Gaudreau did have seven points during the other three games of the road trip. That gave him 99 on the season. Now, 100 is inevitable and again, Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk have been excellent when it comes to player props.

Gaudreau reigns supreme, though. He has covered on point props more often than any other Flame.

Calgary is now seven points clear of Edmonton for first in the division but still has many reasons to keep playing hard. That expects to keep benefitting those who wager.

Looking Ahead for Canadian Teams

Speaking of Calgary, it has three home games this week. Seattle, Arizona, and the Vegas Golden Knights all visit.

That Knights game expects to be one of the marquis games of the week. None of those contests involve a back-to-back and Calgary expects to be significant favorites in all three.

Now, the Canucks are in a strange position. They have two home games as they are amid a five-game homestand.

This week features games against Vegas and Arizona. The Vegas game might set the tone for the rest of their season.

Vancouver lost to Vegas at home on April 3. That cannot happen again. The Canucks could be plus-money on the moneyline vs. Vegas. Could.

Toronto features a wild week with four games. That includes weekend dates with Ottawa and the New York Islanders.

Again, the Maple Leafs are more about scoring goals and wins than anything else. If there was a week for that to cool off a bit, it might not be this one.

Winnipeg also plays four times and is one of the few that plays on the Monday/Wednesday/Friday structure. There is a Saturday contest tacked on, too.

The Jets are a hard team to figure out and bet on. However, looking at the Over this weekend when they play two games in Florida is looking like a solid plan.

Rounding out the rest of the Canadian teams, Montreal and the Cole Caufield / Nick Suzuki hot streak has four games with plus-matchups against Winnipeg, Columbus, and Washington.

Those are contests where Montreal could score some goals. This week, Edmonton plays three playoff teams in Minnesota, Nashville, and Vegas. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl against good opposition are always worth a betting look.

Finally, the Ottawa Senators expect to have a tough week after playing Detroit. Their final two games are against Boston and Toronto — whom they both are likely to struggle against. However, they will continue to play tough and Josh Norris is a player to keep watching.