The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning are officially headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
CONFIRMED 🍁 <br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MapleLeafs</a> have clinched a spot in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StanleyCup?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StanleyCup</a> Playoffs! <a href="https://t.co/Gw8r1KEGby">pic.twitter.com/Gw8r1KEGby</a>
WE'RE IN. ⚡ <a href="https://t.co/tzlcT87U8p">pic.twitter.com/tzlcT87U8p</a>
Following losses by the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals, the Maple Leafs punched their ticket to the playoffs. The Detroit Red Wings’ defeat at the hands of the New York Rangers also allowed Tampa Bay to secure its spot.
Here’s a look at the updated NHL standings following the Maple Leafs and Lightning clinching their respective playoff berths.
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
Wild-Card Race
Central Division
Pacific Division
Wild-Card Race
Toronto center Auston Matthews leads the team with 99 points, while his 63 goals are the most of any NHL player. William Nylander is right behind Matthews for the team lead in points, recording 95 of his own which includes 55 assists.
Goaltender Ilya Samsonov has notched 21 wins compared to just six losses, continuing his strong second half of the season.
The Lightning booked their seventh straight trip to the playoffs and will look to make it further after a first-round defeat in 2023. Tampa Bay had reached the Stanley Cup Final in each of the previous three seasons.
In the team’s 2023-24 campaign, forward Nikita Kucherov holds the NHL lead with 133 points. This includes 43 goals and 90 assists in 75 games played.
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has also performed admirably after missing the start of the season after undergoing back surgery, owning a record of 29-17-2. He’s allowed 133 total goals in his 48 appearances while recording 1,216 saves.
The Lightning have hit their stride as of late, winning 10 of their past 12 games.
As for the Maple Leafs, they currently hold a record of 43-23-9. They secured their eighth straight playoff appearance on Friday after their Stanley Cup hopes ended in the second round of the playoffs in 2023.
The Maple Leafs will be seeking their 14th Stanley Cup, while the Lightning will attempt to win their fourth cup.
