Maple Leafs win against Bolts vital to avoid potential 'jeopardy' of early playoff exit, per NHL analyst

Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night. They are two points ahead of Tampa in the standings. The game is important for both teams in the Atlantic Division race. A loss could hurt the Leafs’ chances of finishing first.

Speaking on Tuesday's TSN broadcast, analyst Craig Button said finishing first should be Toronto’s main goal. Facing Florida or Tampa early in the playoffs is something Toronto will look to avoid, according to Button.

"I think for the Toronto Maple Leafs, finishing first is something that's a significant accomplishment, and it should be their goal," Button said. "You don't want to play Florida and/or Tampa Bay in the first round. Those two teams, I think, pose real challenges for the Toronto Maple Leafs."

Toronto lost 3-1 to the Panthers on Tuesday, and they struggled in faceoffs and were also outshot 37-18. Last week, the Leafs beat Florida 3-2, but the Panthers were missing captain Aleksander Barkov in that game. On Tuesday, Barkov returned, and Florida looked much stronger. Button said Toronto did not play well for most of the game.

"They didn't play very well, and first place in the Atlantic Division, I think, is significant for the Toronto Maple Leafs," Button said. "I don't think it's so significant for Tampa Bay or Florida. They've been there, done that, won that. The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't done that."

The Leafs have already secured a playoff spot with a record of 47-26-4. Mitch Marner leads the team with 94 points. William Nylander has the most goals with 44.

"You look at a game on Wednesday night for the Toronto Maple Leafs, I'm not going to say it's the most important game of the season," Button said. "I will say this: it's a game that they have to look at as winning, because if they don't win it, they're in jeopardy of not finishing first. And if they don't finish in first, they're in jeopardy—oh yeah—once again of going out in the first round."

Toronto has made the playoffs for four straight years. But they have only won one playoff round in that time.

Toronto Maple Leafs' playoff disappointments in recent years

In the 2022-23 NHL season, they defeated Tampa Bay in the first round but lost to Florida in game five of the second round series. And last season, they lost to the Bruins in the first round and fired their coach, Sheldon Keefe.

New coach Craig Berube is leading the team this season. He won the Stanley Cup with St. Louis in 2019. The Leafs hope he can help them go further in the playoffs. Their top players are performing well, but wins are still needed.

Wednesday’s game could decide a lot for the Leafs. A win keeps them in control of first place, but a loss will give Tampa Bay a chance to catch up.