Maple Leafs need a point, or Lightning loss, to clinch first Atlantic Division title
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the verge of clinching their first-ever Atlantic Division title, needing just one point against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday in a game on TSN.
Toronto is hot at the right time, winning three games in a row and earning points in nine of their last 10.
A 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday moved them four points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning with only two games remaining on the schedule.
"I think it's a great thing because when we're at home, we have a good opportunity especially going into the later games of a round," defenceman Brandon Carlo said about clinching home-ice advantage after the team's 1-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. "Overall, you have to have the mindset that each game matters and it's not really about where it's played. We're just taking it one game at a time and focusing on the process."
"We want to be at home has much as we possibly can in the playoffs," said forward Mitch Marner. "It's always inspiring [to be at home] when the playoffs come around."
Toronto has a chance to clinch the division if Tampa Bay loses in any fashion to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday as well.
It would mark the first Atlantic Division title in franchise history for the Maple Leafs. The team won the all-Canadian North Division when the 2020-21 shortened season was played with realigned divisions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It would also be the seventh division title in franchise history. Their most recent division title before the aforementioned 2020-21 campaign came in the 1999-2000 season, when they won the Northeast Division. Since the divisions were realigned in 2013-14 to their current edition, the best the Maple Leafs have finished was second (2021-23).
Toronto will face the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the playoffs if they're able to secure the Atlantic Division title. The series would renew the "Battle of Ontario" rivalry, which hasn't been seen in the playoffs since the first round in 2004.
Idle Canadiens can clinch final spot in East playoffs
The Montreal Canadiens failed to clinch a playoff spot on Monday by virtue of a 4-3 shootout loss against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Montreal is not playing on Tuesday, but can still clinch their spot if the Columbus Blue Jackets lose in any fashion to the Philadelphia Flyers - a team they've fallen to twice in three matchups this season.
Despite the stellar debut for top rookie Ivan Demidov in which he scored a goal and added an assist, the Canadiens let the lowly Blackhawks earn a come-from-behind victory in the shootout.
“Came up short,” winger Cole Caufield said after the game. “Pissed off about the result.”
“At the end of the day, it's still a big point,” head coach Martin St. Louis said. “And we're going to keep going.”
Montreal would face the Washington Capitals in the first round if they were able to lock up the final spot in the Eastern playoffs.
It would mark Montreal's first trip to the playoffs since they fell to the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.