John Tavares and Aleksander Barkov (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/4dab7d93-e1d8-4698-9018-1a106ff31f7c.webp] John Tavares and Aleksander Barkov (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has noticed something interesting of late ahead of Thursday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. When he pre-scouts his opponents, he sees a far different team than the one that ends up stepping on the ice against his team [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/atlantic-division-foes-battle-as-florida-arrives-in-toronto-looking-to-keep-1st-place]. "When we look at the games teams play two or three prior to us, they don't look like the game they play against us," Maurice said after the morning skate prior to his team visiting the Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/that-sht-doesnt-matter-to-us-maple-leafs-focused-on-tightening-up-game-not-first-in-atlantic-division-entering-final-stretch-of-regular-season]. "There's high-end energy. We're always prepared for their best, which we need to do to stay sharp." Such is life when you've won the Stanley Cup and done so largely with smash mouth hockey. It would seem that the three games the Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/trying-to-get-this-thing-straightened-out-head-coach-craig-berube-reveals-maple-leafs-held-team-meeting-to-address-recent-struggles] and Panthers play down the stretch going into the playoffs will be no different – high-octane, high-energy. It should provide an interesting glimpse into what should be an outstanding playoffs. Today's video column has more. The next little while for the Maple Leafs and Panthers should go a long way to determining who wins the Atlantic Division and enters the playoffs on high, says Ken Campbell. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com. NHL Power Rankings: Key Matchups That Will Determine Each Team's Fate [https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/deweb-519a7.appspot.com/o/posts%2FTHNHOME%2Fcontent-images%2F227beac5-836d-4f27-bd37-957f7ea59c5c.webp?alt=media] NHL Power Rankings: Key Matchups That Will Determine Each Team's Fate <i>Welcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance.</i> [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/nhl-power-rankings-key-matchups-that-will-determine-each-teams-fate]
