San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs Picks and Predictions for Monday, October 19, 2026
Monday's game between San Jose and Toronto takes place at Scotiabank Arena, with the puck dropping at 7:30 pm ET on ESPN+. The Sharks are fourth in the Pacific Division at 4-3-1, while the Maple Leafs sit last in the Atlantic Division with a 3-4-2 record. Neither team is coming into this one on a winning streak. San Jose fell 4-3 in a shootout against Detroit on Saturday, and Toronto lost 4-1 to the Islanders. The Leafs have now lost three straight, while the Sharks have managed just one win in their past four games. Make smarter bets with our free NHL picks.
San Jose Sharks Need Better Goaltending
The Sharks have picked up points in their last two games, although only one ended in a victory. San Jose beat Nashville 3-2 in a shootout on Thursday before losing 4-3 in another shootout against Detroit on Saturday. The previous two games weren't as close, with the Sharks falling 6-3 to Boston and 3-1 to Edmonton. San Jose is averaging 2.63 goals on 27.6 shots per game, compared to 3.50 goals allowed on 27.5 shots. The Sharks have scored on 23.1% of their power plays and have killed off 80.8% of their penalties.
Macklin Celebrini has been the Sharks' main source of offense. His 11 points include three goals and a team-high eight assists, although Will Smith has matched his three goals. Ivar Stenberg and Smith have six points each. The bigger concern is in goal. Yaroslav Askarov has had a difficult start in goal, going 2-3-0 with a .848 save percentage and a 3.99 goals-against average. Alex Nedeljkovic has played better, going 2-0-1 with a .920 save percentage and 2.20 GAA. San Jose needs more saves against Toronto.
Injuries: Quentin Musty and Kyle Keyser are out.
Toronto Maple Leafs Have Lost Three Straight
Toronto's last few games have been frustrating. The Maple Leafs scored four against Utah and another four against Buffalo, only to lose both games. Saturday was different, with the Islanders holding Toronto to one goal in a 4-1 defeat. The Leafs are averaging 3.22 goals per game on 28.0 shots but giving up 3.44 on 29.2 shots. Special teams have been better. The power play is at 26.7%, while the penalty kill has been successful 96.4% of the time.
Auston Matthews has six goals and seven assists for a team-best 13 points. William Nylander isn't far behind with five goals and seven assists for 12 points, while Kirill Marchenko has nine points. Toronto has options up front, but the goaltending hasn't helped. Sergei Bobrovsky is 1-3-2 with a .890 save percentage and 3.29 goals-against average. Anthony Stolarz is 2-1-0 with a .875 save percentage and 3.32 GAA. Both have allowed more than three goals per game.
Injuries: John Tavares, Dakota Joshua, Miles Wood, Chris Tanev and Max Domi are out.
Key To The Game
Toronto has more scoring from its leading forwards, and its penalty kill has been far stronger than San Jose's. Both teams have had trouble keeping opponents off the scoreboard. A better night in net could make the difference, with Toronto looking to Matthews and Nylander to end its skid.
San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs Pick
- Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto has dropped three straight games, but the Maple Leafs have enough scoring to turn things around at home. Matthews leads the club with 13 points, and Nylander is right behind with 12. Toronto has the stronger special teams, including a penalty kill that has stopped 96.4% of opponents' chances. San Jose has lost three of its past four games, and its goaltending has been inconsistent. Toronto gets the pick.
San Jose Sharks vs Toronto Maple Leafs Over/Under Pick
- Over
Goals have been going in at both ends for these teams. Toronto has allowed at least four in four of its past five games, while San Jose has given up three or more in three of its last four. The Maple Leafs scored four or more in three of their past four outings. Matthews and Celebrini create chances, and neither team has been strong in goal. The over looks worthwhile.