The Toronto Maple Leafs lost both their meetings with the Florida Panthers so far this season. [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/bb8ab0a0-9a1f-4718-9bd0-947b5917c9fc.jpeg] The Toronto Maple Leafs lost both their meetings with the Florida Panthers so far this season. Anything can happen from any position in the playoffs, but the Toronto Maple Leafs need as favorable a matchup as they can get. The Atlantic Division’s top three teams will want to avoid a first-round showdown against each other by clinching first place. But from this writer’s point of view, it’s clear that the Maple Leafs [http://thn.com/toronto] desperately need to win the Atlantic and avoid an opening-round showdown against the defending Cup-champion Florida Panthers [http://thn.com/florida] and the Tampa Bay Lightning [http://thn.com/tampabay], for that matter. Michael Traikos and Ryan Kennedy debate whether the Toronto Maple Leafs or Florida Panthers need to win the Atlantic Division the most. Some fans will argue that Toronto should do everything possible to avoid a first-round series against the Ottawa Senators [http://thn.com/ottawa], who swept the Leafs in their season series this year. But psychologically speaking, a battle with the Panthers is a bigger hurdle for the Buds. After all, Toronto did manage to get out of the first round in the 2023 post-season before they ran into a buzzsaw Panthers team in the second round. That Panthers team wasn’t as good as the one that won its first Cup last season – nor was it as good as the Panthers are after this year’s trade deadline. As the defending Cup champs, the Panthers will have a huge bullseye on them no matter who they take on in the first round. But the Leafs will be fighting tooth and nail for the Atlantic title so they can minimize the war of attrition for themselves and maximize it for the Panthers and Lightning. Either team coming out of what should be a hard-fought Panthers and Lightning series could be in tough against their second-round opponent. The Leafs will have a tough time no matter who they face, but the prospect of beating the Lightning in the first round and the Panthers in the second round is formidable if they only finish second or third in the Atlantic, to say the least. This is why Toronto’s remaining two games against Florida [https://thehockeynews.com/news/maple-leafs-and-panthers-clash-is-a-sign-things-are-getting-real] will be must-see TV. If the Leafs beat the Panthers in both games and hold off the charging Lightning, the road ahead for the Buds is much easier than it would be otherwise. The Leafs need every advantage they can get, and certainly, their current home record of 23-13-1 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/thats-pretty-cool-but-my-focus-is-on-the-playoffs-maple-leafs-william-nylander-reaches-40-goal-mark-but-remains-locked-in-on-postseason-run] makes home-ice advantage all the more crucial for them. Do The Leafs, Panthers Or Lightning Want To Win The Atlantic Division? [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/538541fd-b2b7-495f-9245-beee8d62c616.jpeg] Do The Leafs, Panthers Or Lightning Want To Win The Atlantic Division? 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. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/do-the-leafs-panthers-or-lightning-want-to-win-the-atlantic-division] Sure, the Panthers would also love to win the Atlantic. Without suspended veteran defenseman Aaron Ekblad for up until Game 3 of the first round [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/aaron-ekblad-suspended-20-games-for-violating-nhl-substance-abuse-policy], the Panthers would love nothing more than an easier post-season road than they’ll get if they slide to second or third spot in the division. That said, as the standard-bearer in the NHL right now, the Panthers will face stiff opposition no matter where they finish. So, yes, the Leafs need a division win more than their Atlantic rivals. They haven’t won their division since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, but their previous division title came in the 1999-2000 campaign. A division title would give the Leafs a major mental advantage. Time will soon tell if they’re up to that challenge. 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.
