Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Toronto Maple Leafs (38-33-8, 84 points) and Tampa Bay Lightning (42-27-9, 93 points) faceoff live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto for the fourth and final meeting against each other this season. The game can be live streamed here. Toronto fans can hear all of the action on TSN 1050 while Tampa Bay fans can do the same on WFLA 970.
Toronto still has slight hope to make the playoffs but has lost eight of their last 10 while Tampa Bay is in a playoff spot right now but looking to end a two-game skid. The Maple Leafs have won two of the three games thus far this season, but the Lightning scored a 5-3 win last time they played on March 19 in Toronto.
The Lightning is coming off of losses to the Calgary Flames (4-1 final) and Dallas Stars (5-2), and the team knows it can't take anyone lightly this time of year.
"Hopefully this is out of our system and we can come down off our high chair after making the playoffs and realize there are other teams that are coming and can catch us," captain Steven Stamkos told the Tampa Bay Times.
The Maple Leafs realize that even if they win out a playoff spot isn't guaranteed but the team continues to focus on just winning the next game.
"The motto for us is the next one's the most important one," coach Randy Carlyle said after practice Monday, according to NHL.com. "That's the way it's been all year and that's not going to change. We're going to prepare our group to play the game that's necessary for us to have success. That's our mindset."
The Maple Leafs have been led by Phil Kessel, who has 80 points off of 37 goals and 43 assists while James van Riemsdyk has 30 markers and 30 helpers for 60 points and Nazem Kadri has lit the lamp 20 times and added 30 assists for 50 points.
Valtteri Filppula paces the Lightning with 57 points off of 25 goals and 32 assists while Ondrej Palat has 20 tallies and 35 helpers for 55 points and Victor Hedman has found the twine 12 times and added 38 assists for 50 points.
Ben Bishop is likely to start for Tampa Bay, and is 37-14-7 with a 2.23 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage while James Reimer is probable to suit up for the Leafs with Jonathan Bernier (knee) sidelined. Reimer is 12-14-1 with a 3.42 GAA and a .907 save percentage.
The Lightning and Leafs clash for the final time this season when the puck drops at the Air Canada Centre tonight in Toronto.
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