from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
The Atlantic Division playoff picture appears to be coming into focus. The Florida Panthers, who won a wild 4-3 game Monday night in Toronto, have a four-point lead at the top over the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are without Steven Stamkos and Anton Stralman and lost 5-2 to the New York Islanders.
The Panthers will likely win the division and play either the Islanders or New York Rangers, whichever of the two ends up in a wild-card spot. The Lightning appear destined for second spot in the Atlantic and will face either the Detroit Red Wings (again) or the Boston Bruins in the opening round, depending how that Red Wings-Bruins battle for third place ends up.
While Tampa did not look very good Monday night without two of its best players, the Lightning do hope to get Stralman back sometime in the second round, and neither the Wings nor Bruins have exactly been lighting it up over the past month.
Thoughts, gang?
read on for other views from the ESPN crew...
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