Auston Matthews and Sam Reinhart (Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images)The first round of the playoffs is not going to be a spring walk in the park for anyone in the NHL, regardless of where they finish in the regular season.
But you have to wonder how badly the top three teams in the Atlantic Division – the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning – actually want to finish first, given their recent play.
It's not that they've been terrible, but anytime they've had an opportunity to separate from the other two, they come up short. All three are projected to finish with at least 100 points, and the Atlantic could very well have five playoff participants, but unless somebody among the Panthers, Leafs or Lightning decides to go on a run, it will come down to the last day of the season.
Today's video column has more.
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