The Toronto Maple Leafs have won their 46th game of the season, put up 99 points and now have a magic number of 2 points to clinch a playoff berth. Enjoy your Thursday.

Hard to read much into this, other than to like the fact the Leafs kept on the gas pedal even when up by three. Solid performance while playing a bit of prevent defence at the end.

We can’t say that was a set play, but great intuition from Marner to bounce on the loose puck here. He’s been scoring all kinds of ways as of late, and extends his point streak to a career-best ten games.

Make that an even 70 career regular season goals for Auston Matthews. For a kid who’s missed a real chunk of the season with injury, extremely impressive for him to hit the 3-0 marker. Great feed from Nylander, and Auston has all the time in the world to put the Buds up by a pair.

We’d say we’re surprised, but he’s looking 28 instead of 38 every day. 25 goals on the year for Marleau, and while it’s not over until it’s over, putting up your team by three in the first period is a good way to get things going.

Unfortunately, the Leafs wouldn’t let themselves get too comfortable before the first period ended. Heck of a shot, and the Panthers find themselves on the board.

The only goal of the second period was this fine individual effort from Jonathan Huberdeau. Heck of a wrister, and Andersen had no answer for that one.

If there’s been a shining saviour of late, it’s been the consistency at which JVR has been scoring. A pretty standard van Riemsdyk effort, collecting his own rebound and finishing the job.

They wouldn’t be the Leafs without a bit of a scare, hey? Net’s empty, and Dadonov gets the Panthers back within one.

The Leafs would hold on, however, and secure the 4-3 regulation win to nudge them that much closer to a clinch in the standings.