Maple Leafs vs Kings Picks and Prediction – 3/29/2025

Toronto rolls into Los Angeles after a tough 6-5 shootout loss to San Jose. The Maple Leafs are 43-25-4 and sit comfortably in the Atlantic but have dropped two of the last three, including a 5-2 loss to Nashville. William Nylander was the bright spot against the Sharks, scoring twice and reaching the 42-goal mark on the season. The Kings, meanwhile, are coming off a flat 4-0 loss in Colorado, but that ended a five-game winning streak. At 40-22-9, Los Angeles has been dominant at home with a 26-3-4 record at Crypto.com Arena. Hit the ice running with our NHL picks.

Toronto is scoring 3.26 goals per game and giving up 2.97. The power play has been elite, converting at 25.5%, and the penalty kill sits at 78.6%. Mitch Marner is the points and assist leader with 89 and 67 respectively, while Nylander’s 42 goals include 12 on the man advantage. Goaltending has been split between Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz, with Woll posting a 2.80 goals-against average and .905 SV%, and Stolarz slightly better at 2.40 GAA and .917 SV%. Defense is allowing 29.2 shots per game, and the Leafs have one key injury with defenseman Jani Hakanpaa still on IR until at least March 30.

Los Angeles was red-hot before running into Colorado. The Kings had outscored opponents 20-6 over the previous four games, including back-to-back 7-2 wins over Boston and Carolina. Anze Kopitar has continued to be steady up the middle while Adrian Kempe leads with 29 goals and 58 points. David Rittich took the loss against the Avs, but Darcy Kuemper has been the better netminder, with a 2.10 GAA and .919 SV% this season.

The Kings' defense has been a strength all year, giving up just 2.52 goals per game and 25.4 shots, both better than Toronto. The penalty kill is solid at 81.4%, and while the power play is struggling at 16.3%, the even-strength game has been very effective. Kempe and Kopitar lead the way offensively, and despite injuries to Alex Turcotte and Tanner Jeannot, Los Angeles still has the edge in depth and goaltending heading into this matchup.

The Kings are simply a machine at home and have been shutting opponents down defensively. Toronto has a better power play, but Los Angeles allows nearly four fewer shots per game and owns a stronger penalty kill. Kuemper gives them the goaltending edge, and with a 26-3-4 record at home, this is the Kings’ game to lose. Final Score Prediction: Los Angeles Kings win 4-2.