{"id":466542,"date":"2025-04-12T08:21:57","date_gmt":"2025-04-12T12:21:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=466542"},"modified":"2025-04-12T08:21:57","modified_gmt":"2025-04-12T12:21:57","slug":"nhl-predictions-april-12-montreal-canadiens-vs-toronto-maple-leafs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/04\/12\/nhl-predictions-april-12-montreal-canadiens-vs-toronto-maple-leafs\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Predictions: April 12 Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day our writers here at\u00a0<em>Last Word on Hockey<\/em> look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/04\/11\/montreal-canadiens-potential-2024-25-nhl-award-nominees\/\" target=\"_self\">Montreal Canadiens<\/a>\u00a0taking on the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/04\/11\/nhl-rumours-toronto-maple-leafs-dont-need-to-worry-about-offer-sheets\/\" target=\"_self\">Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a>.\u00a0Don\u2019t forget to check out more\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/04\/07\/nhl-predictions-april-7th-edmonton-oilers-vs-anaheim-ducks\/\" target=\"_self\">NHL Predictions,<\/a>\u00a0as\u00a0our writers continue this series throughout the 2024-25 season.<\/p>\n<h2>NHL Predictions<\/h2>\n<h3>Washington Capitals vs Columbus Blue Jackets<\/h3>\n<h4>Head-to-Head: Capitals 1-1 Blue Jackets<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Time:<\/strong> 12:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV:<\/strong> ABC; ESPN+; SN 360<\/p>\n<p>We open up NHL predictions with the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/03\/31\/washington-capitals-sign-2023-first-round-pick\/\" target=\"_self\">Washington Capitals<\/a> versus <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/03\/05\/columbus-blue-jackets-signing-of-forward-shows-organizational-message\/\" target=\"_self\">Columbus Blue Jackets.<\/a> Washington is expected to go with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/l\/lindgch01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Charlie Lindgren<\/a> in goal for this game. However, always check social media before locking in a daily fantasy starter. The Caps are 5-4-1 in the last 10 games and locked up home ice in the East. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/s\/stromdy01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dylan Strome<\/a> is averaging a point a game with four goals and six assists over the last 10 games.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/g\/greavje01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jet Greaves<\/a> is the probable starter for the Blue Jackets, who are 5-5 in the last 10 games. However, Columbus have won two consecutive games. The Blue Jackets need a win to stay alive in the post-season race. Team captain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/j\/jennebo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Boone Jenner<\/a> has tallied seven goals and three assists over the last 10 games.<\/p>\n<p>Keep an eye on the lineups for this game, but the Capitals get the win.<\/p>\n<p><em>Prediction: Capitals win 4-3.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings<\/h3>\n<h4>Head-to-Head: Avalanche 2-0 Kings<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Time:<\/strong> 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV:<\/strong> Altitude; Fan Duel Sports West; ESPN+<\/p>\n<p>Our second game of NHL predictions has the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/04\/09\/colorado-avalanche-loan-star-forward-to-ahl-for-conditioning\/\" target=\"_self\">Colorado Avalanche<\/a> taking on the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/03\/14\/nhl-rumours-los-angeles-kings-hope-to-extend-defender\/\" target=\"_self\">Los Angeles Kings<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/blackma01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mackenzie Blackwood<\/a> is the projected starter for the Avalanche, who are 6-3-1 in the last 10 games. However, Colorado is coming off a loss in its last game. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/mackina01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nathan MacKinnon<\/a> leads the team in goals (32), assists (84) and points (116).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/kuempda01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Darcy Kuemper<\/a> is the likely starter for the Kings, who are 7-3 in the last 10 games. A victory for Los Angeles would go a long way to sealing up home ice in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/kempead01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Adrian Kempe<\/a> is tops in goals (33) and points (67) for the Kings.<\/p>\n<p>This could be a playoff preview, but Colorado gets the victory.<\/p>\n<p><em>Prediction: Avalanche win 3-2.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Montreal Canadiens vs Toronto Maple Leafs<\/h3>\n<h4>Head-to-Head: Canadiens 1-2 Maple Leafs<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Time:<\/strong> 7 p.m.: Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)<\/p>\n<p><strong>TV:<\/strong> CBC; Sportsnet; ESPN+<\/p>\n<p>Our final and featured game of NHL predictions is another installment of the old rivalry between the Habs and Leafs. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/d\/dobesja01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jakub Dobes<\/a> is the confirmed starter for Montreal, which can clinch a post-season spot with a win. The Canadiens are 6-4 in the last 10 games, but are coming off a loss on Friday night. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/s\/suzukni01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nick Suzuki<\/a> has registered 29 goals and 58 assists for Montreal.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/w\/wolljo01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joseph Woll<\/a> is the expected starter for the Maple Leafs, who are 7-2-1 in the last 10 games. Toronto can help its case towards winning the Atlantic Division title with a victory. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/marnemi01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mitch Marner<\/a> has notched 25 goals with 72 assists for the Maple Leafs.<\/p>\n<p>This is a high-stakes game, but Montreal gets the win and books its spot in the playoffs.<\/p>\n<p><em>Prediction: Canadiens win 4-3 in overtime.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Prop Bets of the Night<\/h3>\n<p>We close out NHL predictions with some prop bets of the night. Let&#8217;s stay with our featured game for our props. For Montreal, take <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/c\/caufico01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cole Caufield<\/a> to score a goal in this game. On the Toronto side, take <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/matthau01.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2025-04-12_hr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Auston Matthews<\/a> to get a power-play point.<\/p>\n<p><em>Main photo by: David Kirouac-Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><span class=\"s6\">Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions, some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to another NHL Predictions. Each day our writers here at\u00a0Last Word on Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at the Montreal Canadiens\u00a0taking on the\u00a0Toronto [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2352,"featured_media":466544,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4547,4548,4524,18],"tags":[6085,6083,6028,6016,6062,6239],"class_list":["post-466542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canadiens","category-hockey","category-nhl","category-nhl-predictions","category-leafs","tag-colorado-avalanche-predictions","tag-columbus-blue-jackets-predictions","tag-los-angeles-kings-predictions","tag-montreal-canadiens-predictions","tag-toronto-maple-leafs-predictions","tag-washington-capitals-predictions"],"modified_by":"Dan Mount, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2352"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466542"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":466545,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466542\/revisions\/466545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}