Maple Leafs Gain a Substantial Advantage If They Post a Win Over the Lightning Tonight

With the NHL standings showing just a two point difference between the two Atlantic Division teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs' game tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning has huge implications going into the home stretch.

Matthew Knies had some harsh words for his teammates following the game last night in Florida, which was a loss to the Florida Panthers, and Leafs fans can only hope those words got through to the rest of the team with so much riding on tonight's game.

According to MoneyPuck.com, a win in regulation over the Bolts tonight would catapult Toronto's chances of finishing first in the Atlantic Division to 92.5 percent, an increase of close to 30 percent from where the team sits now.

Finishing first in the Atlantic means taking on a wild card seed, which is the Ottawa Senators at the moment. In addition to a series that would have just about all of Canada watching, finishing first also means home-ice advantage for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, potentially all the way through to the Stanley Cup Final, depending on how the matchups go throughout the league.

Despite what it means for the Maple Leafs, MoneyPuck's preview of tonight's game gives the advantage to the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 62 percent chance of winning to the Maple Leafs' 38 percent.

Reporter Kevin Papetti has publicly criticized the Maple Leafs, and GM Brad Treliving in particular, for one of the moves made at the deadline that was supposed to make the team harder to play against. Let's hope Scott Laughton has his best game as a Leaf tonight.

Papetti believes giving up a first-round pick for Laughton will come back to bite the team. Laughton has 1 goal and 2 points in 15 games with Toronto thus far. A big game tonight would go a long way in silencing his critics and building his confidence before the most meaningful games of the year.