It’s a long grind,” John Tavares said. “It’s a special thing to play for the Stanley Cup. We’re excited to have the opportunity to again, we earned our ticket there, and we’ll continue to work to finish as high as we can and make the most of the opportunity.

Canadiens can build lead on Rangers for final spot in East; Blues could move ahead of Wild in West wild-card race

The Toronto Maple Leafs are headed back to the playoffs. With a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Wednesday night, the Leafs clinched a ninth consecutive trip to the postseason. Toronto entered the game only needing a single point to clinch.