As the calendar flips to March, the Boston Bruins are in a heated race for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. They hold down the second wild-card spot, despite losing 3-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon.
The team closest on their tail for the final spot is the Washington Capitals. The two teams have what should be considered monster matchups looming this month. Boston also has three games in hand on the Caps, which could come in play. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators are also within striking distance.
One team that continues to fall behind is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Why is that big for the Bruins? Well, Boston owns Toronto's first-round draft pick this season, which is Top 5 protected. There is a chance that the Black and Gold could make the playoffs and have Toronto's first-round pick if it falls out of the Top 5. Tensions seem to be getting high after the Maple Leafs' loss to Ottawa on Saturday night.
Auston Matthews calls out Maple Leafs performance in loss to Senators
Toronto dropped its third straight game coming out of the Olympic break on Saturday night at home to the Senators, 5-2. It feels like another loss this week before the trade deadline on Friday afternoon, and the Maple Leafs will be selling at the deadline. After the loss to Ottawa, captain Auston Matthews didn't mince words about their performance.
“It’s fairly embarrassing to be honest with you,” Matthews said. “We need to have more pride in our play, no matter where we’re at, no matter what the situation is.”
Now, if Toronto does sell and waive the flag on the 2025-26 season, will they go into full tank mode to improve their chances of getting a Top 5 pick in June's draft? Of course, they need the NHL Draft Lottery to go their way and make sure they get into the Top 5. The Maple Leafs and their fans are melting down as we enter the postseason push part of the season, and now, Bruins fans just need some luck that Toronto's pick falls outside of the Top 5 in June.