Leafs Could Be in Hot Water Even with a First-Place Division Finish

The good news for the Toronto Maple Leafs is that they remain in first place in the Atlantic Division and are poised to enjoy home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The bad news is that, thanks to a recent surge by the divisional foe Ottawa Senators and a downswing by the Florida Panthers, there's a very real possibility that the Panthers could fall into the final Wild Card playoff position.

The Panthers are the defending Stanley Cup winners and have their sights set on becoming the first team to repeat as back to back champions since the 2016 and 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Maple Leafs finally defeated the Panthers for the first time in the regular season this year; Florida had previously beaten Toronto in their first pair of meetings.

They have one remaining matchup on Tuesday evening, which will take place at Florida's Amerant Bank Arena. If the Leafs can salvage a series tie against the Panthers, it can bode well for them come playoff time if they end up in the first or second round against the Cats.

Maple Leafs fans still well remember their five-game series loss to the Panthers in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023; it came on the heels of Toronto's first postseason series victory since 2004.

If the Maple Leafs were matched up against the Panthers in the opening round, would it spell curtains on another year, thus leading to big changes down the line?