Maple Leafs and Penguins Clinch Division Crowns

The Toronto Maple Leafs clinched their first NHL division title since 2000 after beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on May 8th. The Leafs are the NHL North Division winners in the Covid revamped division set up. The North Division consists of all the Canadian teams in the league. Montreal is almost certain to win the fourth and final slot in the North playoffs, and assuming they do, these two ancient rivals would meet in the 1st round of the playoffs. They have not met in the post season since 1979.

The Pittsburgh Penguins shutout the Buffalo Sabres 1-0 behind a Jeff Carter goal. With that goal and victory, Pittsburgh won the East Division. The Carolina Hurricanes have previously won the Central Division, leaving the West as the only Division title still up for grabs. Vegas leads Colorado by four points; the Golden Knights host the Avalanche on May 10th and finish the season at San Jose on the 12th. After the Vegas game, Colorado hosts the Los Angeles Kings on May 12th and 13th.