Maple Leafs clinch division to set up Battle of Ontario playoff series vs. Senators

For everything he's done since his celebrated arrival in 2016, Auston Matthews can't change the Toronto Maple Leafs' history of early round playoff collapses.

Perhaps, a better future lies directly ahead for a team playing a more responsible defensive style under new coach Craig Berube, and after Toronto secured several individual and franchise achievements in clinching its first Atlantic Division title with a 4-0 win at Buffalo on Tuesday night.

"I think we're prepared," Matthews said after scoring his 400th career goal.

"Obviously, we can't change what's happened in the past. I think you wear that," the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL draft added. "So I feel really confident in this group. I think we put in a lot of work over the season. Obviously, earning the division here is a big step for us. But we just want to continue to push forward."

With the victory, Toronto (51-26-4) won its team-record 25th road game and, with one game left, is guaranteed to finish with its second-most wins and third-most points. In the meantime, Mitch Marner set a career-high with his 100th point, while goalie Anthony Stolarz stopped 35 shots to extend his career-best winning streak to eight.

In securing the Eastern Conference's second seed, Toronto will face provincial rival Ottawa in the first round and rekindle the so-called "Battle of Ontario." The Maple Leafs have won all four playoff series meetings against the Senators, the most recent a seven-game first-round win in 2004.

Toronto, however, is also carrying the weight of its more recent playoff history. The team has advanced past the first round just once — a 4-2 series win over Tampa Bay in 2023 — in its past nine postseason appearances.

What's different is how the Maple Leafs are