Toronto Maple Leafs vs Philadelphia Flyers Prediction & Picks - NHL

Prediction published on 1/8/26, 4:00 PM  by Edgar Jibran | Modified on 1/8/26 at 10:22 PM in NHL Picks

This Thursday night could mark a big difference in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ motivation, as a road victory over the Philadelphia Flyers could put them in an ideal spot to look for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, they should try to maintain the defensive consistency that allowed them to defeat the Florida Panthers and the New Jersey Devils without conceding more than one goal per game.

Taking that into account, it also should be noted that achieving that goal won’t be easy, as the Philadelphia Flyers currently have a two-game winning streak, during which they have scored five goals per game. Furthermore, playing at home is expected to be hardly motivating for them, especially when they are sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference’s standings with a two-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On the Toronto Maple Leafs, this team has kept its offensive dependency on Auston Matthews, who has been the only player to reach the 20-goal line this season. Despite this, he has also maintained his position as one of the top blockers on the Maple Leafs’ roster, which clearly shows why they currently are out of the Eastern Conference’s playoff spots but with enough time to recover.