Minnesota Wild vs Toronto Maple Leafs Picks and Predictions for Thursday, November 12, 2026

The Minnesota Wild are on the road Thursday, playing the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena north of the border. Minnesota (13-3-4, 30 points) leads the Central Division. The Wild beat Montreal in overtime 2-1 on Tuesday. Toronto (8-10-2, 18 points) sits seventh in the Atlantic. The Maple Leafs lost on Tuesday to Colorado 6-3. Minnesota has four wins in its last five, and its only loss was in overtime. Toronto has no wins in its last four and at home has just four wins in 12 games. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on ESPN+. Catch more Thursday games in our free NHL picks.

Minnesota Wild Are Winning Most Times Out

Minnesota was pushed to overtime by Montreal on Tuesday before taking home a 2-1 win. The game was tight for all three periods as Montreal was able to slow the Minnesota attack and keep the puck out of its own net. Minnesota enjoyed wins over Washington, Philadelphia and San Jose before its tough OT victory over the Canadiens. The Wild have taken at least one point from each of the last five outings. During the past five games, Minnesota has conceded just nine goals. 

Kirill Kaprizov has 17 goals in 20 games, including six on the power play. He also has 15 assists. Quinn Hughes has been busy setting things up from the blue line, recording 21 assists and 27 points. But Minnesota's biggest comfort is in net. Jesper Wallstedt owns a 12-2-3 record with a 1.93 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. The Wild allow 25.8 shots per game, and their 2.20 goals allowed is the NHL's lowest average. They don't have to score four every night to win.

Injuries: Filip Gustavsson is on long-term injured reserve. Brock Faber is on injured reserve.

Toronto Maple Leafs Still Looking for Answers

Colorado scored six against Toronto on Tuesday, and the Maple Leafs couldn't keep up in a 6-3 loss. The previous game was worse: New Jersey left Scotiabank Arena with a 4-0 shutout. Before that, Montreal won 4-2 and Utah won 3-2. That's four straight defeats. Toronto last won October 31 at Vancouver, and even home ice hasn't helped much. The Leafs have allowed 17 goals during the skid. They need a cleaner performance in front of whichever goalie starts.

Auston Matthews is doing his part, with 11 goals and 17 assists in 20 games. William Nylander also has 11 goals, while Jack Roslovic has nine. Toronto scores 3.35 per game, so the forwards aren't the only problem. Sergei Bobrovsky has gone 3-8-2 with a 3.47 goals-against average and .881 save percentage. Anthony Stolarz has better numbers: 5-2-0, a 2.72 average and .908 save percentage. Toronto kills 86.4% of penalties, but opponents still average 3.45 goals.

Injuries: Morgan Rielly and Colton Sissons are out. Kirill Marchenko and Nick Blankenburg are on injured reserve. Miles Wood is on long-term injured reserve.

Key To The Game

Minnesota needs to make Toronto chase the game rather than trade chances with Matthews and Nylander. The Wild have allowed nine goals in five outings. Toronto has scored seven during its four-game losing streak. If Minnesota limits Toronto's shots, the pressure falls on the Maple Leafs' goaltending.

Minnesota vs Toronto Game Pick

• Minnesota Wild

Tuesday told the story of these teams. Minnesota found a way through a tight game in Montreal; Toronto surrendered six at home. Wallstedt has played well enough to cover for quiet nights from his forwards, while the Leafs' goaltending has been shakier. Kaprizov also gives Minnesota a finisher who can decide a close contest. Toronto has enough scoring talent to make the Wild work, but I'll take Minnesota to collect another road win.

Minnesota vs Toronto Over/Under Pick

• Under

Toronto's recent defensive record makes a high-scoring game possible, but Minnesota has been outstanding without the puck. The Wild have conceded only nine goals in five games and allow the fewest per game in the league. Toronto has managed seven goals during its four losses, including none against New Jersey. Matthews could break through, but Wallstedt hasn't given opponents much. Look for Minnesota to keep the game under control and the scoring down.