The Toronto Maple Leafs, and their fans, will be watching the final game of the 2017-18 NHL regular season with great intrigue.
The result of the Boston Bruins hosting the Florida Panthers will determine who the Leafs play in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The game can be seen at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet East, Ontario and 360.
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Simply put, if the Bruins win — in any fashion — they earn top spot in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference. Their reward would be hosting the second wild card team, the Taylor Hall-led New Jersey Devils, while the Leafs would get the Atlantic Division No. 2 seeded Tampa Bay Lightning.
However, a loss by the Bruins keeps them in second position in the division and presents a date with the Leafs. Thus, the Lightning would remain in their currently scheduled matchup with the Devils.
The Lightning had a chance to clinch the division title with a win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night, but they relinquished a point when they lost 3-2 in overtime. The Bruins kept their hopes alive by beating the Ottawa Senators 5-1.
Regardless of what happens in Sunday’s Bruins-Panthers affair, the Leafs will start their post-season on the road after a franchise record 105-point campaign.
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If regular season head-to-head records are any indicator, Toronto would best be served to face off against the Bruins. The Leafs were 3-1 against their Original Six rivals, whereas they went 1-2-1 against their Florida-based opponent.
Of course, a series against the Bruins would be a rematch of the first-round matchup in 2013, which saw the Leafs blow a 4-1 lead in Game 7. The Bruins went on to reach the Stanley Cup Final after their comeback, but lost to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Thirteen players took part in the series five years ago with their current teams — five for Toronto and eight for Boston. Nazem Kadri, James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Jake Gardiner, and Leo Komarov are the Leafs in question, while Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask, David Krejci, Torey Krug, Adam McQuaid, and Anton Khudobin are the Bruins.
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