The Toronto Maple Leafs took another step forward towards securing the top spot in the Atlantic Division on Wednesday night with a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena.
The win not only restored their three-point lead at the top of the Division but also clinched a postseason berth for the ninth consecutive season – the longest active streak in the NHL.
More work to do 🔒 pic.twitter.com/tzjMZ3YJE0
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) April 3, 2025
“It’s great. We gotta finish out these games, though. There’s still a lot on the line,” said star forward Mitch Marner post-game.
“I think it’s always recognized. It’s a long grind; it’s a special thing to play for the Stanley Cup,” added teammate John Tavares. “We’re excited to have the opportunity again. Earn our ticket there, and continue to work to finish as high as we can and make the most of the opportunity.”
It’s been a season of adjustment for the Maple Leafs as they adapt to a new playstyle and system under head coach Craig Berube. With the playoff race as tight as ever, Berube expressed his satisfaction with the team’s ability to clinch a postseason berth, crediting their consistency as a key factor in their success.
“It’s hard to make the playoffs; it’s tight, and it’s a tough league. But our team, I think, has played very consistent this year and did a real good job of changing their style of play and playing a certain way, adapting to it over time. It doesn’t happen overnight; it takes a while,” said Berube.
Wednesday’s game had all the makings of a playoff battle: tight-checking, physical play, and little room to create chances. Florida, playing the second half of a back-to-back, was without Matthew Tkachuk (lower-body), Aaron Ekblad (SUSP), and Aleksander Barkov (upper-body), who was labeled out pre-game.
Still, the Leafs stayed patient, capitalized on their opportunities, and stuck to their game plan against a Florida team that, even while shorthanded, made them battle until the final buzzer.
“It’s not a curveball. I mean, he’s a great player (Barkov), but he’s not playing tonight. We all know how good he is,” Berube explained. “It was an opportunity for us to take advantage of him not playing, but at the same time, I don’t look at it when a star player is not playing on the other side because we’ve missed our stars for a number of games this year and won hockey games.”
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