Panthers Capture Atlantic Division

     The Florida Panthers captured the Atlantic Division title in their regular season finale at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday night with a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. They leaped over the Boston Bruins, who lost their contest to the Ottawa Senators tonight, to take the division in the 82nd and final game of the regular season. 

     The Panthers clinched the Atlantic Division for the second time in the last three seasons. It was the fourth division title for Florida in franchise history. 

     The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs will start this weekend with Florida hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Both clubs have met in the postseason in 2021 and 2022 with the Bolts victorious during each occasion. 

     Toronto(46-25-10) scored first on the power play at the 3:25 mark of the first period. William Nylander pushed the puck from the left point to Mitch Marner at the top of the zone. He angled a pass to Morgan Rielly on the right wing. He returned it and Marner blasted a one-time slap shot from the right point by Anthony Stolarz for his 27th goal this season. 

      The Maple Leafs extended it to 2-0 with 8:42 left in the first. Noah Gregor picked up a loose puck on the right wing and released a wrist shot from above the right circle for his sixth goal of the year. 

     In the second period, Florida(52-24-6) quickly scored 28 seconds into the frame and trailed 2-1. Matthew Tkachuk whipped a cross-ice pass from the top left circle. Carter Verhaeghe took a shot from the top right circle which was a blocker save by Joseph Woll. Sam Bennett batted the puck down in the low slot and Verhaeghe followed with a snap shot for his 34th goal in 2023-24. 

     The Panthers scored twice in a 10-second span to take a 3-2 lead. Tkachuk sent a rink-wide pass from the right point. Gustav Forsling powered a slap shot from the left point. Sam Bennett deflected it in from the inner left circle and collected his 20th goal at 10:32. 

     Sam Reinhart followed with his 56th goal of the season at 10:42 with a forehand shot from the left circle. Aleksander Barkov was credited with an assist on the play. 

     It became a two-goal margin for the Cats with 6:18 remaining in the second. Vladimir Tarasenko and then Barkov cycled the puck around the right corner. Brandon Montour got his eighth goal this season when he fired a slap shot from the right point.  

     The Maple Leafs pulled their goalie for an extra attacker late in the third period. Eetu Luostarinen angled an outlet pass to his right. Reinhart put the puck into an empty net from the red line for his second tally of the game and 57th goal of the season with 2:20 to go for a 5-2 Florida lead.