Standings
A win tonight against the Boston Bruins would put the Leafs within four points with two games in hand.
The Leafs remain eight back of Florida with only one game in hand.
As luck would have it, the Leafs 9-1 run has coincided with the Panthers going on the exact same run. On the bright side, the Leafs have opened up a six point lead on Detroit with a game in hand, while they have the same lead on Tampa but have played three less times.
Barring a collapse like we've never before seen, the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to the playoffs.
They could still win the division, but the NHL playoffs are so weirdly seeded that doing that could still give them a rematch with Tampa.
Sure, it's not the same Tampa from before, but it's not like they're an easy out. Could you imagine pulling off a miracle Atlantic Division Title and then being rewareded with Tampa?
The Leafs are 8th overall in the NHL right now, with, I think, more room for improvement than any team above them.
They play Boston tonight, and it is one of the biggest games of the season so far.