It was a tough night on the scoreboard for the Toronto Maple Leafs - and they didn’t even play.
While the Leafs were idle, a trio of Atlantic Division rivals made moves that tightened the playoff race and turned up the pressure on Toronto. The Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, and Ottawa Senators all took the ice Thursday night, and two of those outcomes didn’t break Toronto’s way.
Let’s start with the Bruins. Boston edged out the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3, earning two key points that push them three ahead of the Leafs in the standings for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Now, before Leafs fans start panicking, there is a silver lining: Toronto still holds a game in hand. The Leafs sit at 57 points through 50 games, while the Bruins have 60 points in 51.
That extra game could prove crucial down the stretch.
Meanwhile, the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers continue to lurk - and they just got a little closer. Florida pulled out a 2-1 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets, moving to 55 points in 49 games.
Not only are they now just two points back of Toronto, but they’ve also played one fewer game. And if the two teams end up tied in points, here’s where things get tricky: Florida owns the edge in regulation wins, which is the first tiebreaker.
Right now, the Panthers have five more regulation wins than the Leafs - a significant gap that could come back to haunt Toronto if this race stays tight.
There was at least one bright spot for the Leafs on the out-of-town scoreboard. The Ottawa Senators dropped a 5-3 decision to the Nashville Predators, keeping them four points behind Toronto. For now, that gives the Leafs a bit of breathing room from below.
Bottom line: Thursday night was a reminder of how unforgiving the Eastern Conference playoff race can be. Even on an off night, standings can shift - and the margin for error keeps shrinking.
Toronto will have a chance to respond on Friday when they face the Vegas Golden Knights, and there’s a little extra spice in that matchup. Mitch Marner will be looking to make his mark against his former team, and the Leafs will be looking to reclaim some ground after a night where the scoreboard didn’t do them any favors.
The race is heating up. Every point matters, and for the Leafs, it’s time to start stacking them.