<p>Welcome to the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/mapping-out-remainder-atlantic-division-race-toronto-maple-leafs-lightning-panthers">Atlantic Division</a> Notebook, where we examine what&#8217;s happening across the division, as the regular season comes to a close. With several playoff spots up for grabs, and numerous divisional games to be played in April, it&#8217;s worth magnifying what&#8217;s happening with the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/combinations">Toronto Maple Leafs&#8217;</a> rivals.</p>
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<h3>Suzuki leads stunning comeback for Canadiens in victory over Panthers</h3>
<p>If the Montreal Canadiens clinch the final wild-card spot this month, Nick Suzuki&#8217;s heroics Tuesday won&#8217;t soon be forgotten.</p>
<p>With the Canadiens on the brink of defeat, Suzuki tucked a loose puck home past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky with nine seconds remaining, sending the Bell Centre into a frenzy.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">NICK SUZUKI HAS TIED IT! WE&#39;RE HEADED TO OT!! 😱 <a href="https://t.co/tuLEb7KORB">pic.twitter.com/tuLEb7KORB</a></p>
<p>&mdash; NHL (@NHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1907246977525420294?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Suzuki wasn&#8217;t finished there, dominating his overtime shift. Montreal&#8217;s captain shook off Florida&#8217;s Sam Reinhart, then tucked home a wraparound goal that edged Bobrovsky to cap off a sensational performance.</p>
<p>Montreal&#8217;s victory also ensured that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes would have to wait another day to clinch a playoff spot.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">NICK SUZUKI 🤯 </p>
<p>He scores at the end of the regulation and in <a href="https://twitter.com/Energizer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Energizer</a> OT to give the <a href="https://twitter.com/CanadiensMTL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CanadiensMTL</a> two HUGE points! <a href="https://t.co/t6eQo80TMg">pic.twitter.com/t6eQo80TMg</a></p>
<p>&mdash; NHL (@NHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1907248572002713930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Suzuki has developed into a terrific all-around force for the Canadiens, with 25 goals and 79 points in 74 games this season, while providing elite two-way impact. The fact that Suzuki burned a fellow Selke Trophy candidate in Reinhart may be a sweetener, as the Canadiens remain firmly alive in the wild-card race.</p>
<h3>Nikita Kucherov and the Lightning cruise past the Islanders</h3>
<p>It&#8217;s a formidable race, but the Tampa Bay Lightning are looking like the most dangerous team in the Atlantic at the moment. Nikita Kucherov recorded two assists, while Oliver Bjorkstrand, Victor Hedman, Jake Guentzel and Nick Paul all scored for the Lightning in a comprehensive 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Doesn&#39;t get much better than this 🤩 <a href="https://t.co/6N0LeZxIh9">pic.twitter.com/6N0LeZxIh9</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) <a href="https://twitter.com/TBLightning/status/1907235980697833834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Kucherov may win the Art Ross Trophy for the second consecutive season, and is staking a claim for his second Hart Trophy of his career. Tampa Bay is scorching opponents at 5-on-5, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made a casual 27 saves in the winning effort. Toronto holds a one-point lead over Tampa Bay and a two-point lead over Florida, where the urgency of avoiding their rivals from the Sunshine State is clearly pronounced.</p>
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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Welcome to the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/mapping-out-remainder-atlantic-division-race-toronto-maple-leafs-lightning-panthers">Atlantic Division</a> Notebook, where we examine what's happening across the division, as the regular season comes to a close. With several playoff spots up for grabs, and numerous divisional games to be played in April, it's worth magnifying what's happening with the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/combinations">Toronto Maple Leafs'</a> rivals.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<h3>Suzuki leads stunning comeback for Canadiens in victory over Panthers</h3>
If the Montreal Canadiens clinch the final wild-card spot this month, Nick Suzuki's heroics Tuesday won't soon be forgotten.

With the Canadiens on the brink of defeat, Suzuki tucked a loose puck home past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky with nine seconds remaining, sending the Bell Centre into a frenzy.

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1907246977525420294

Suzuki wasn't finished there, dominating his overtime shift. Montreal's captain shook off Florida's Sam Reinhart, then tucked home a wraparound goal that edged Bobrovsky to cap off a sensational performance.

Montreal's victory also ensured that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes would have to wait another day to clinch a playoff spot.

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1907248572002713930

Suzuki has developed into a terrific all-around force for the Canadiens, with 25 goals and 79 points in 74 games this season, while providing elite two-way impact. The fact that Suzuki burned a fellow Selke Trophy candidate in Reinhart may be a sweetener, as the Canadiens remain firmly alive in the wild-card race.
<h3>Nikita Kucherov and the Lightning cruise past the Islanders</h3>
It's a formidable race, but the Tampa Bay Lightning are looking like the most dangerous team in the Atlantic at the moment. Nikita Kucherov recorded two assists, while Oliver Bjorkstrand, Victor Hedman, Jake Guentzel and Nick Paul all scored for the Lightning in a comprehensive 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders.

https://twitter.com/TBLightning/status/1907235980697833834

Kucherov may win the Art Ross Trophy for the second consecutive season, and is staking a claim for his second Hart Trophy of his career. Tampa Bay is scorching opponents at 5-on-5, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made a casual 27 saves in the winning effort. Toronto holds a one-point lead over Tampa Bay and a two-point lead over Florida, where the urgency of avoiding their rivals from the Sunshine State is clearly pronounced.
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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