The Toronto Maple Leafs have clinched their eighth straight playoff berth, which means they have not missed the playoffs since the Auston Matthews’ era began in 2016. This is a remarkable feat. Leafs Nation now hopes that the team can go on a long run and finally compete for the Stanley Cup.
This comes as both the Washington Capitals and the Philadelphia Flyers lost their respective games tonight, which secures the Maple Leafs playoff spot but also makes things very tough on both of those teams to lock up the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Maple Leafs have just seven games remaining in their season, and with their playoff berth locked up, that doesn’t mean they are going to sit back and relax. They still have the opportunity to catch the Florida Panthers, as they are just six points back with two games in hand. They could also be caught by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are just two points behind the Maple Leafs, who also clinched their playoff berth tonight.
The Maple Leafs will likely play their star players for the next three or four games before they start to rest them for the playoffs. Which means that the Maple Leafs still have the chance to watch Matthews hit 70 goals, which can become more of a focus now that they have secured their spot in the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.