Leafs officially clinch a spot in the 2022-23 Stanley Cup Playoffs thanks to one of their biggest rivals
At this point, it seemed like only a formality that the Leafs would eventually clinch their spot in the playoffs for a 7th consecutive season. However, the Buds didn't even have to step foot on the ice to secure their playoff spot this time around.
Last night, thanks to one of their most heated rivals, the Ottawa Senators, the Leafs are playoff bound once again. The Sens got off to a 2-0 lead over the Florida Panthers - who can still sneak into the playoffs, mind you - and would not relinquish it, skating away with a 5-2 win and narrowing the gap on a playoff spot of their own.
The Panthers currently sit outside of a wild card spot with 79 points. The Sens are not far behind with 77 points of their own, but there's still work to do to catch Pittsburgh (82) and Long Island (85).
Meanwhile, for the Leafs, who enjoyed a much needed day off on Monday following a 5-game road trip, sitting at home and clinching a playoff spot from their sofas probably felt a lot better than scratching and clawing for every point down the stretch. The Leafs are currently sitting at 97 points with 9 games remaining. Their most likely first round matchup will be against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but there's still a slim chance that they could wind up facing one of Florida, Buffalo or Ottawa. It would take a miracle for that to happen, but all 3 remain mathematically in the playoff hunt - for now.
