Captain Auston Matthews makes his thoughts clear on Toronto Maple Leafs being on top in Atlantic division.

NHL: Toronto Maple Leafs at Los Angeles Kings – Source: Imagn

The Toronto Maple Leafs hit the ice on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers with whom they are competing to win first place in the Atlantic division.

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Right now, the Maple Leafs occupy the first-place position by a single point over the Tampa Bay Lightning; the Panthers are in third place but only two points behind the Maple Leafs.

Following a quick morning skate on Wednesday, Toronto captain Auston Matthews looked ahead to the evening’s matchup and acknowledged that his club has its mindset focused on taking the division crown.

“Every time we play them, it’s a tight game,” Matthews said of the Panthers. “The margins are very small. This will be a good test. Our mindset is to win the division. Our game is headed in the right direction. We want to have home ice for sure.”

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Understandably, the Leafs want the top position within the division not only to ensure home ice throughout the postseason but also to draw a more favorable opponent in the opening round.

“It’s the mindset for sure,” Matthews said of getting the division’s top place. “The standings are really tight, and you want to go out and get that.”

Should the Maple Leafs earn a regulation victory, they would move four points ahead of the Panthers and three points ahead of the Lightning. But if the Panthers were to win in regulation, they would not only jump over the Lightning but tie the Maple Leafs in the standings.

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The Panthers hope to win their third straight game over the Maple Leafs

Wednesday night marks the third matchup of the season between the Panthers and the Maple Leafs; Florida has won the first two games in their trademark agitating style.

Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube is well aware of the Panthers’ tendency to goad their opposition into frustration and penalties, something that he’s instructed his players to rise above and ignore.

“You can’t react to it,” Berube warned of Florida’s tactics following Wednesday’s skate. “Stand your ground. But you gotta be careful with taking the extra shot or swing. It’s hard. But that’s what they want, and you can’t get drawn into it.”

While the Panthers currently don’t have injured star forward and agitator Matthew Tkachuk in their lineup, they do have both Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand (recently acquired from the Boston Bruins). Both players are masters at getting into the heads and under the skin of their opposition.

If the Maple Leafs are to pick up their first win of the 2024-25 season against the Panthers, maintaining discipline will be key.