Finally, the teams in the Atlantic Division are getting their stuff together.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have won eight games in a row and moved to second place in the division with games in hand on just about everybody, and the Maple Leafs have been on fire since canning Mike Babcock as their head coach.
That means they are now both within eight points of the Bruins in the Atlantic Division and that they have moved into the other two playoff spots within the division.
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At the same time, teams like the Sabres and Canadiens have hit the skids and are falling away from the playoff race, and leave the Florida Panthers as the only other team that looks ready to even threaten for a playoff spot this year. Will it happen? Who knows.
But everybody knew the Lightning and Maple Leafs were quality playoff teams again this season and now they are playing like it, and the Bruins are finally playing like a team that’s being pushed by their divisional rivals.