The Toronto Maple Leafs have won three of their last four, and despite some wonky play and some very bad stats, they have continued to get excellent results all season long.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, who have never won the Atlantic Division before, currently lead it by three points. They are 45-25-4 and have eight games remaining, while both Tampa and Florida have nine games left.
With 94 points, the Leafs are extremely close to clinching a playoff spot. The Rangers could win every game for the rest of the season, they can't catch the Leafs. The Blue Jackets can finish with 95 points, and the Leafs have the tie-breaker, so the Leafs can clinch with just one more point, or they can clinch if Columbus loses tonight.
The Blue Jackets will host the Nashville Predators, and if the Jackets fail to get two points, then the Leafs will clinch a playoff spot. The Blue Jackets had a playoff spot all but locked up before they went on their recent slide which has seen them post a record of 3-6-1 in their last ten.
NHL standings update + the Toronto Maple Leafs can clinch Playoffs tonight
Right now, the two Wild Card teams are the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators. The Capitals lead the east by a lot, and the Leafs are unlikely to catch them since it's a nine point lead with only eight games to go, and Washington has a game in hand.
The Capitals are going to play the Canadiens or whoever ends up in the last Wild Card spot. The Senators have a seven point lead on Montreal, so they look locked into seventh and are too far back to catch Tampa, Florida and Toronto.
The Canadiens are in an epic battle against the Rangers, the Islanders, Red Wings and Blue Jackets. Three points separate the teams, with Montreal currently in the driver's seat.
The Penguins and Flyers could run the table and make it if everyone else collapses, but they are more or less eliminated.
In the West, Calgary and Vancouver are both at least five points behind the Blues and Wild for the two Wild Card spots. It doesn't look good for Western Canada to make the Playoffs this year, other than the Oilers.
The Oilers are on track for yet another opening round series against LA. They've played each other three years in a row, and the Oilers have won each time. It will be interesting to see if the NHL's best overall team can avoid what seems like an overdue first round upset.
As for the Leafs, the Battle of Ontario is going to be awesome. Regardless of having lose the Senators three times this year, playing Ottawa is infinitely better than playing one of the Florida teams.