Maple Leafs Can Accomplish Something Exciting Tonight, But Will Need a Divisional Rival's Help

There were many key contributors in the Leafs' 3-1 win over the Kings last night in Los Angeles, but perhaps none better than Auston Matthews, who earned a tremendous level of love and support from his teammates for the effort he put forth.

Anthony Stolarz stood tall for his team with a rock solid 35-save performance and posting a .972 SV%, changing what were some very rough fortunes in the month of March, having posted a collective sub .900 SV%.

John Tavares capped off a tremendous 6-game stretch by notching a pair of goals to reach his 69th point of the season. Now, the Leafs have a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win against the Anaheim Ducks tonight. They will, however, require some help from the Florida Panthers.

Per the NHL's official PR account on Twitter/X, if the Leafs beat the Anaheim Ducks in any fashion, and if the Panthers beat the Montreal Canadiens in any fashion, the Leafs will clinch a playoff berth.

The Leafs' first round opponent will depend entirely on how strong they finish. They are currently leading the Atlantic Division with 92 points, but are only 1 point up on both Florida and Tampa Bay.

If the playoffs started today, the Leafs would draw the Ottawa Senators in Round 1, given the Senators' position as the top Wild Card seed in the East. Wouldn't that be something?

If either the Lightning or Panthers manage to pass the Leafs in the standings and win the division, the Leafs would draw the other Florida team. Both teams pose tremendous risks for the Leafs in the postseason, so a strong finish to set up a match against a Wild Card opponent would certainly be in the Leafs' best interest.