NHL Game Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning | 04/03/2024

Toronto, ON – The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing off against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight as they are in their final 10 percent of the season. The Leafs have a chance at clinching a playoff spot tonight if they are able to get at least one point. The Leafs also still have a chance at home ice advantage in the first round as the Panthers are only 4 points ahead of them, with the Leafs having two games in hand.

  • TV: Sportsnet
  • Radio: TSN 1050
  • Time: 7:00 PM ET

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Last Meeting:

The Leafs and Lightning haven’t faced off since November 6th, 2023 in a thriller of a game that saw 11 goals total, with the Leafs winning 6-5 in overtime. Matthews scored two goals that night and will look to add to the scoreboard tonight as he sits at 62 goals with 8 games left to play. The Lightning are looking to firm up their playoff spot as well, so they will look to play a competitive full effort tonight.

LEAFS QUICK LOOK (43-22-9)

3rd in the Atlantic, 10th in the NHL

Leafs to Keep an Eye on:

  • Morgan Rielly returns tonight from injury after spending 4 games out of the lineup. The team has been playing relatively well in Rielly’s absence, but adding Rielly back to the back end should make a difference. The powerplay has been struggling, and having Liljegren and Rielly out hasn’t helped. Rielly will look to catch up to speed quickly, similar to when he came back from his 5 game suspension.
  • Joseph Woll gets the nod in between the pipes tonight and will look to put up another solid game after a solid start against Washington. Woll hasn’t been quite the same since coming back from his injury, but will look to string some successful starts here and build momentum towards the playoffs.
  • William Nylander has been having a career season this year and landed an 8-year extension with the Leafs midway through the season. With 8 games left to go, Nylander has 95 points and could become the second Leaf in recent years to break over the 100-point threshold in a season. Look for Nylander to stay engaged both on and off of the puck tonight.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to follow me on Twitter @ITRnathanbondy.

Saint Joseph Woll Leafs Late Night

WELCOME BACK TO LEAFS LATE NIGHT! Presented by Inside The RinkRoscoe / Fanalyst – 3 Game Skid- Highlight Finish- Traaaade Season- State of the Game w DartyNEW MERCH IS AVAILABLE!JOIN OUR DISCORD!Remember to follow us on Twitter @LeafsLateNight & IG @LeafsLateNightCheck out Mike, Josh, and Nathan's articles on the Leafs + many more! insidetherink.comHow to support us and our sponsors:TicketmasterColumbia Sports ApparelESPN+ SubscriptionFanaticsDraft Kings – CODE ITR
  1. Saint Joseph Woll
  2. Vanquishing Rivals of Yesteryear
  3. Lawesome-Tawesome
  4. Back To Business w/ Steph The Fanalyst
  5. Preseason Debut – All New Blue


Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

Pittsburgh Penguins

Rust’s Double Downs Capitals In Pens’ Season Finale

The conclusive blare of the final horn resonated through PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night, bringing the curtain down on a season of unfulfilled promise for the playoff-less Penguins, who nonetheless delivered a parting shot by defeating their rivals, the Washington Capitals, 5-2. While this victory offered a momentary high for the Penguins, its true […]

Read More

2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Winnipeg Jets vs St. Louis Blues Series Preview

One more sleep and the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues battle it out for the first time since 2019 in the postseason. Both teams have a close head-to-head rivalry since the 1999-2000 season, but have only met once in the playoffs. A throwback to the clash in 2019 has shades of the past after […]

Read More

The Connor McDavid Lottery, 10 Years Later

When you have a job writing about the Edmonton Oilers, it’s hard not to type out his name at least once in every article. April 18th, 2015, the 9th year in our team’s Decade of Darkness had just come to a close, finishing 3rd last league-wide. Connor McDavid was the projected top prospect in that year’s […]

Read More