{"id":537718,"date":"2026-04-03T02:47:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T02:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/537718\/"},"modified":"2026-04-03T02:47:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T02:47:23","slug":"sharks-vs-maple-leafs-prediction-lineups-odds-and-match-preview-nhl-april-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/537718\/","title":{"rendered":"Sharks vs Maple Leafs Prediction, Lineups, Odds and Match Preview \u2013 NHL April 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

The San Jose Sharks host the Toronto Maple Leafs at SAP Center in an interesting NHL<\/a> matchup on April 2. Both teams enter the game with identical points in the standings, but the pressure is much higher on San Jose as they continue their push for a playoff spot in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n

Toronto arrives on the second part of its California road trip after an emotional 5-4 victory against the Anaheim Ducks. Meanwhile, the Sharks are riding a three-game winning streak and will try to keep their momentum going at home.<\/p>\n

This contest brings together a Sharks team fighting to stay in the playoff race and a Maple Leafs squad looking to finish the season strongly despite dealing with injuries.<\/p>\n

Toronto Maple Leafs vs San Jose Sharks Match Information<\/p>\n

MatchToronto Maple Leafs vs San Jose SharksLeagueNHLDateApril 2, 2026VenueSAP CenterLocationSan Jose, CaliforniaTime10:00 PM ETTVTSN4 \/ NBCSCA<\/p>\n

Toronto Maple Leafs Team Overview<\/p>\n

Toronto has shown mixed form this season but recently produced strong performances on the road. The team defeated Anaheim 5-4 in overtime in its last game, with several key players contributing offensively.<\/p>\n

Veteran center John Tavares scored twice in that victory, while Morgan Rielly, William Nylander and Matthew Knies also found the net.<\/p>\n

Despite the win, the Maple Leafs have struggled to maintain consistency in goal throughout the season. Anthony Stolarz is expected to start this game again after being chosen by the coaching staff for consecutive starts.<\/p>\n

Maple Leafs Recent Form<\/p>\n

CategoryToronto Maple LeafsRecord32-30-13Last 10 Games5 wins \u2013 3 losses \u2013 2 OT lossesGoals per Game (Last 10)3.2Goals Allowed (Last 10)3.4<\/p>\n

Key Toronto Players<\/p>\n

William Nylander
Nylander leads Toronto in points and continues to be the team\u2019s most dangerous offensive player.<\/p>\n

John Tavares
The experienced center leads the team in goals and remains a key scoring threat.<\/p>\n

Easton Cowan
The rookie has impressed recently and is expected to skate on the top line alongside Tavares and Nylander.<\/p>\n

San Jose Sharks Team Overview<\/p>\n

San Jose enters this matchup with strong momentum after winning three consecutive games. The Sharks most recently defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in a comeback victory.<\/p>\n

The young Sharks roster has shown improvement late in the season, led by standout performances from rookie center Macklin Celebrini.<\/p>\n

Celebrini has been one of the most exciting young players in the league and continues to drive the Sharks\u2019 offense with his skating, playmaking and scoring ability.<\/p>\n

Sharks Recent Form<\/p>\n

CategorySan Jose SharksRecord35-31-7Last 10 Games4 wins \u2013 5 losses \u2013 1 OT lossGoals per Game2.8Goals Allowed4.0<\/p>\n

Key Sharks Players<\/p>\n

Macklin Celebrini
The young star has been dominating games recently and is leading the Sharks\u2019 offense.<\/p>\n

Will Smith
Another talented young forward who adds speed and scoring ability to the lineup.<\/p>\n

Tyler Toffoli
Provides experience and finishing ability in San Jose\u2019s attacking unit.<\/p>\n

Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is expected to start after the Sharks\u2019 previous game.<\/p>\n

Sharks vs Maple Leafs Head-to-Head<\/p>\n

San Jose has had the upper hand in recent meetings between the two teams.<\/p>\n

CategoryResultLast MeetingSharks win 3-2Last 10 MeetingsSharks 6 wins \u2013 Leafs 4 winsSharks vs Leafs at HomeSharks strong home record<\/p>\n

The Sharks have also won three straight games against Toronto.<\/p>\n

Projected Lineups<\/p>\n

Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lines<\/p>\n

ForwardsEaston Cowan \u2013 John Tavares \u2013 William NylanderMatthew Knies \u2013 Bo Groulx \u2013 Matias MaccelliDakota Joshua \u2013 Max Domi \u2013 Nicholas RobertsonSteven Lorentz \u2013 Jacob Quillan \u2013 Calle Jarnkrok<\/p>\n

DefenseMorgan Rielly \u2013 Brandon CarloJake McCabe \u2013 Philippe MyersSimon Benoit \u2013 Oliver Ekman-Larsson<\/p>\n

GoaltendersAnthony StolarzJoseph Woll<\/p>\n

Injuries:
Auston Matthews (MCL), Chris Tanev<\/p>\n

San Jose Sharks Projected Lines<\/p>\n

ForwardsIgor Chernyshov \u2013 Macklin Celebrini \u2013 Will SmithWilliam Eklund \u2013 Alexander Wennberg \u2013 Kiefer SherwoodCollin Graf \u2013 Michael Misa \u2013 Tyler ToffoliBarclay Goodrow \u2013 Zack Ostapchuk \u2013 Adam Gaudette<\/p>\n

DefenseDmitry Orlov \u2013 Vincent DesharnaisMario Ferraro \u2013 Shakir MukhamadullinSam Dickinson \u2013 Nick Leddy<\/p>\n

GoaltendersAlex NedeljkovicYaroslav Askarov<\/p>\n

Injuries:
Ryan Reaves, John Klingberg<\/p>\n

Team Statistics Comparison<\/p>\n

CategoryMaple LeafsSharksGoals per Game3.303.11Shots per Game27.2825.45Goals Allowed3.403.51Power Play18.8%20.0%Penalty Kill75%64.5%<\/p>\n

Toronto has a slightly stronger offense, while San Jose\u2019s defensive numbers have been inconsistent.<\/p>\n

Sharks vs Maple Leafs Prediction<\/p>\n

This game could be one of the most entertaining matchups of the night because both teams have attacking talent and defensive inconsistencies.<\/p>\n

Toronto has strong offensive players in Nylander and Tavares, and rookie Easton Cowan has been productive recently.<\/p>\n

However, San Jose enters the game with momentum and strong home support. The Sharks have also had success in recent meetings against Toronto.<\/p>\n

Read more: Kraken vs Mammoth Prediction<\/a><\/p>\n

If Celebrini continues his outstanding form, San Jose could create major problems for the Leafs\u2019 defense.<\/p>\n

Predicted Score<\/p>\n

San Jose Sharks 4
Toronto Maple Leafs 3<\/p>\n

San Jose\u2019s recent winning streak and home-ice advantage could help them edge a tight game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The San Jose Sharks host the Toronto Maple Leafs at SAP Center in an interesting NHL matchup on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":537719,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5127],"tags":[5,4,519,168,5306,5305,1780],"class_list":{"0":"post-537718","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-jose-sharks","8":"tag-hockey","9":"tag-nhl","10":"tag-san-jose","11":"tag-san-jose-sharks","12":"tag-sanjose","13":"tag-sanjosesharks","14":"tag-sharks"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116338494394356544","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=537718"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537718\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/537719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=537718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=537718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=537718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}