Vegas Golden Knights vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 11/8/2022

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Venue: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON

Where to watch: ATTSN-RM

DraftKings: Maple Leafs -120, Golden Knights +100

FanDuel: Maple Leafs -122, Golden Knights +102

BetMGM: Maple Leafs -125, Golden Knights +105

Caesars: Maple Leafs -125, Golden Knights +105

Golden Knights: 11-2-0 (22 points)

Maple Leafs: 7-4-2 (16 points)

Golden Knights: won 6-4 at Canadiens; won seven straight

Maple Leafs: won 3-1 at Hurricanes; won three straight

The Vegas Golden Knights are the best team in hockey right now and it makes total sense that they are. They are thriving with goaltending and team defense under Bruce Cassidy, and an already-established forward group has gotten off to a tremendous start.

Vegas puts its seven-game winning streak on the line Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, whom the Golden Knights beat way back when to start the longest active winning streak in the league for the NHL’s top team. Now, I get it: You can look at the schedule and think to yourself that the Golden Knights are gifted to be where they are at the moment. It hasn’t been the strongest of slates with the only losses coming against the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche.

But the Golden Knights have found different ways to win over the course of the last few weeks; whether it be by dominant team defense or just outscoring the opponent and dominating them for a good portion of the game. Look at the 6-4 win Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens. Vegas outworked Montreal in the second period but only got one goal out of it. They went on to score four in the third, two from the fourth line, and win a game that Montreal scored a couple times late to get back in.

Reilly Smith scored twice, and Jonathan Marchessault had two points to bail out Adin Hill going to 5-0-0 with his new team.

"We're having a lot of fun right now, winning definitely adds to that," Smith said. "We're trying to keep the ball rolling and keep the positivity going, but it's nice to be able to play when you're winning, and you just try to keep those streaks going."

Let’s be clear: This road trip Vegas is on is not that strong. They took out a tired Washington team in overtime, beat an injured Ottawa team, and then a Montreal club that’s kind of tweening on good and bad. But for all the questions about the Golden Knights entering the season, the goaltending has been great, the team defense has been solid. The fact that the only losses are by one goal and they haven’t had a “bad game” to this point is really good. Now the only test is to play in the one building Vegas hasn’t won in yet.

After a rough start to the year, the Maple Leafs have reeled off three straight wins, two of them against Boston and Carolina, to quiet the sort-of panic resonating in Ontario at the moment. After the 3-1 win against the Hurricanes in Raleigh, that showed the world Toronto might be legit in this dojo. John Tavares scored his 399th goal, and Erik Kallgren made 29 saves for an impressive victory.

"We had to be patient with our game," Tavares said. "We had to win a lot of battles. There wasn't much room out there for either team. Eventually, we started to create a little bit more, tilt the ice a little bit. They came hard early in the third, but we withstood that and obviously got a couple big goals."

This spells trap game for Vegas with a good surge from the Maple Leafs, but I’m of the mindset that this Vegas team is actually good. Logan Thompson likely goes for what might be his own biggest personal start of his career, and I think he gets it done. Golden Knights win 4-2

Golden Knights are 12-10 the last three years after two non-conference games.

Golden Knights are 13-3 the last road game after a road game where both teams scored 3 or more the last three years.

Golden Knights are 31-17 off a road win the last three years.

Maple Leafs are 15-2 in November the last three years.

Maple Leafs are 43-18 after a win by 2 or more the last three years.

Maple Leafs are 2-5 in non-conference games this season.

Golden Knights:

Chandler Stephenson -- Jack Eichel -- Mark Stone

Reilly Smith -- William Karlsson -- Jonathan Marchessault

Michael Amadio -- Brett Howden -- Phil Kessel

William Carrier -- Nicolas Roy -- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez -- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague -- Zach Whitecloud

Logan Thompson

Maple Leafs:

Michael Bunting -- Auston Matthews -- Mitchell Marner

Alexander Kerfoot -- John Tavares -- William Nylander

Nicholas Robertson -- Pierre Engvall -- Calle Jarnkrok

Zach Aston-Reese -- David Kampf -- Denis Malgin

Mark Giordano -- Rasmus Sandin

TJ Brodie -- Justin Holl

Morgan Rielly -- Timothy Liljegren

Erik Kallgren

Points: Jack Eichel -- 14

Goals: Jonathan Marchessault -- 6

Assists: Alex Pietrangelo -- 10

Goalie: Logan Thompson -- 6-2-0, 2.01 GAA, .934 SV%

Points: John Tavares -- 15

Goals: John Tavares -- 8

Assists: Mitch Marner -- 12

Goalie: Ilya Samsonov -- 6-2-0, 2.23 GAA, .921 SV%