Leafs can officially clinch playoff spot as soon as tonight
While it might be April Fools’ Day, April 1 could also hold a special significance in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 2023-24 season.
As per the NHL, the Leafs are the lone team with a possibility to clinch their spot in this year’s edition of the playoffs on Monday.
There are two ways they could pull it off, which both involve picking up a win and getting some help from other teams around the Eastern Conference.
NHL.com
Option one involves defeating the Florida Panthers in regulation, who they host tonight at Scotiabank Arena. They’d also need the Detroit Red Wings to lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning in regulation, and any result in the New York Islanders-Philadelphia Flyers game other than an Islanders win in overtime.
Alternatively, they can defeat the Panthers in overtime or shootout and make the playoffs today if both of the following occur: the Red Wings lose in regulation and any result in the Islanders-Flyers game other than an Islanders win in overtime or shootout.
Seven teams in the league have already clinched their spot in the NHL playoffs — four in the Eastern Conference, and three in the Western Conference. Toronto is aiming to be the second Canadian team after the Vancouver Canucks to clinch, who officially returned to the postseason for the first time since 2020 on Saturday night.
With nine games left in their schedule, Toronto’s magic number of points needed to clinch a playoff spot is down to just three. So even if today isn’t the fateful day, the little “x” next to their name in the standings signifying a postseason berth should be there soon enough.
- You might also like:
- "F*ck that sh*t": Samsonov not looking back after Leafs shut out Sabres