The Leafs face the Bruins in the first round, with the 70th goal bypassing Matthews

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Call the Boston Bruins.

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For the 17th time in franchise history, the Maple Leafs will face one of their original six rivals, the Bruins, in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

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That became true on Tuesday night when the Leafs lost 5-2 to the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, the latter result coming half an hour after the Bruins lost 3-1 at home against the Ottawa Senators.

A Panthers win and a Bruins loss allows Florida to finish the 2023-24 regular season one point ahead of Boston (110-109) and clinch the Atlantic Division title. Instead of a first-round matchup with the Leafs, the Panthers will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Leafs and Bruins will meet in the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Boston has beaten Toronto in the last six postseason meetings, with the Leafs last winning in 1959.

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This regular season, the Leafs are 0-2-2 in four games against the Bruins.

Never mind though. Even with the Leafs going in, the Bruins should be considered the favored opponent, although the players will never admit it. Boston's defense is strong, but Florida's is better. The Bruins don't have an alternative to Aleksandr Barkov on the roster, and while winger David Pastrnak is scarce, the Lifters should have an edge in the middle.

Goaltender Ilya Samsonov will have to be at the top of his game to surpass Jeremy Swain or Linus Ullmark. Sergei Bobrovsky also has no experience to bring against the Leafs.

The Bruins have a strong defensive corps. Whether it was the Bruins or the Panthers, the Leafs had a weak group.

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The Leafs' success will depend on the collective performance and production of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.

“It's going to be a real challenge,” Leafs captain John Tavares told media in Florida after the game. “Playing the Original Six (team) with a lot of history is really special. It's a great opportunity for us and we know it's going to be a real challenge and we have to be ready.”

The best-of-seven first round is expected to begin on Saturday, with the first two games in Boston before Games 3 and 4 in Toronto.

MATTHEIS COULD NOT GET THE 70TH HOUSE

Matthews' quest to record the 15th 70-goal season in National Hockey League history is one game away.

The Leafs close out their regular season against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, and unless Matthews is scratched to give him a rest, it will be his last chance (for now) to join an exclusive club.

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Against the Panthers, Matthews had 12 attempts, including five shots on goal, and hit the post during a Leafs power play in the third period. But he couldn't beat Panthers goaltender Anthony Stolarz, despite Leafs teammates trying to get him the puck in the right spots.

Matthews played 19 minutes and 29 seconds and was minus-3.

His eight-game goal streak ended, along with his 14-game hitting streak.

“He had a lot of opportunities,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “I don't know how many shots he had, but there were a couple behind the goalie. Many fell in love with him, but today he did not. I really liked his game.”

The match in Tampa may not result in anything. Considering the Leafs only have 12 healthy forwards, you'd think Matthews would be in the lineup unless Keef decides to go with seven defensemen.

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Will Matthews play?

“We'll talk about it,” Keefe said.

Our take: Yes, Matthews should be in the lineup and get one last chance to score his 70th goal. A night's rest doesn't matter between now and the playoffs, and even with the risk of injury, as we've said, no club should be interested in being too physical. And if Matthews is going to play and score early, use him sparingly the rest of the game.

If he scores, it will mark the first 70-goal season in the NHL since 1992-93, when Alex Mogilny of the Buffalo Sabers and Teemu Selanne each scored 76 in his rookie year with the Winnipeg Jets.

THE GAME HAS STARTED

It will surely be a clean slate for each team once the playoffs begin. Still, the Leafs' second period couldn't have been worse, and his arrival so late in the season was disappointing for the group. It was the third time (and second time in two games) the Lifters have allowed four goals in a period. The Panthers' 29 shots on goal were the most by a Leafs opponent at any point this season (the previous high was 18). The Leafs' record for most sacks in a single period is 32, set against Hartford in March 1984 … Second period bad: The way the Leafs failed to withstand the Panthers' predictable scrutiny. It was a tough look for a team preparing for the playoffs, and it featured six potential D-men in Toronto's lineup to begin the first round. TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano, and Conor Timmins all broke. Of the three, only Brody could make it to Game 1. If you're going to be satisfied with the physical play that brought Joel Edmundson and Ilya Lyubushkin, you have to admit that none of the fleet is left without a leg and can be a liability. The Leafs' defensive corps must collectively find another level … Big positive: The Leafs shut down all six Panthers' power plays. Negative: Too many penalties by Toronto…After Carter Verhaeg scored in the first minute of the second, the Panthers scored 10 seconds apart from Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart, the latter coming at 10:42. Brandon Montour scored at 13:42… Reinhart scored on an empty net to seal the win… Unless Samsonov is injured in Tampa on Wednesday, he won't be a postseason player in goal for Toronto. Joseph Wall hasn't been good since returning from a sprained ankle, and it was no different Tuesday… There were no complaints from Keefe about how the team started the game. Each player showed from the first meeting that they weren't in playoff-saving mode, as the power and energy were strong … Marner has been sharp since returning from a sprained ankle and has scored points in each of the six games since his arrival. back. Marner's enthusiasm has always been matched by his talent, so it's no surprise that he's heading into the playoffs at a high level. Marner's shot was saved by Tavares in a 1-0 Leafs win, the fourth consecutive game Toronto has scored first. Initially, the goal belonged to Marner… It was nice to see Noah Gregor score for the first time in 34 games, but he's unlikely to be in the lineup to start the first round. If Max Domi returns for Game 1, as expected, Gregor would be the odd man out. Gregor would also be gone if Bobby McMann were to return. For the most part, Gregor – who hadn't scored a goal since Dec. 16 in a 2-0 win over the Leafs over the screening Stolarz – has been a healthy scratch since mid-February … Nylander will be in the final game. He has no goals and three assists in his last 10 games. For a player who is usually one of the Leafs' top offensive threats, there's no way this lack of production can be positive … The Leafs head into Tampa with a 7-5-0 record in their second game. rear sets.

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