Matthews: 'You want to go up and get' 1st in Atlantic Division

The prospect of winning the Atlantic Division is on the mind of Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews down the stretch.

"I think (winning the division is) in the mindset for sure," Matthews said Tuesday. "These last stretch of games, you just want to make sure that our game is moving in the right direction. I thought that trip ended off on the right note there in Anaheim. You just want to continue to build momentum going into these last seven, eight games."

The forward added: "The standings are really tight. You want to go up and get that (division win), for sure."

The Tampa Bay Lightning (93 points) and Florida Panthers (92 points) are hot on the heels of the Maple Leafs, who are atop the Atlantic with 94 points. All three teams have played 74 games.

Toronto has never won the Atlantic Division since realignment from the Northeast Division before the 2013-14 season. The Maple Leafs topped the North Division in 2020-21, their first division title since 1999-00.

Toronto faces Florida on Wednesday night. The Maple Leafs are 0-2 against the Panthers this season.

"They've been tight games every single time we've played (Florida)," Matthews said. "It's just details. The margins are small. Just being structured in our game. Special teams, obviously, is really important with just how tight these games have been. Will be a good test and a good challenge."

Matthew Knies reiterated the importance of Wednesday's contest.

"You see how tight the standings are," Knies said. "With our rivalry, it's pretty important. I think it's gonna be a playoff game."