Leafs win season finale, playoff opponent still uncertain

For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter The Toronto Maple Leafs put the finishing touch on their regular season with a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday and after a day off, will begin preparations for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but their opponent is still unknown and will not be determined until the final game of the year in Boston on Sunday night. Auston Matthews, Zach Hyman, Nazem Kadri and Patrick Marleau scored for Toronto, setting a franchise record with 105 points and surpassing the 2003-04 Leafs mark of 103. Frederik Andersen made 31 saves on the night for his 38th win of the year, eclipsing Andrew Raycroft’s team record 37 victories set in 2007. “(It was) real good for Freddy, I think it’s fantastic for him to have the Leafs record (for wins) and he’s been a huge part of our team since he’s come here and to have that record is a special thing.… Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said after the game. The two clubs traded goals in the first 40 minutes, as Matthews scored his 34th of the season on the power play and Daniel Carr responded for Montreal late in the middle frame. Toronto retook the lead on Zach Hyman’s 15th of the season 37 seconds into the third and extended their lead late in the third on Kadri’s 32nd of the season. With their regular season complete, the players will be given the day off Sunday and practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before leaving for their unknown destination to begin the first round on Thursday. Saturday’s games did not determine the Atlantic Division winner, as Boston beat the Ottawa Senators 5-2 at TD Garden and Tampa Bay lost 3-2 in overtime to the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. The Lightning finish the season with 113 points and Bruins are at 112 with a makeup game against Florida on Sunday night. When asked whether they would watch the game or had any preference of who they would play, both Matthews and Hyman said no and avoided providing their potential opponent any bulletin board material, while Andersen indicated he will watch the final round of the Masters on Sunday. “We don’t know who we’re playing. I was hoping we’d know here tonight. (Boston and Tampa Bay) are very good hockey clubs. We’re in for a great test and it should be a lot of fun.… Babcock said. “We’ve been (planning) for awhile, we’ve been dialed in on both teams.… If Boston wins in regulation, overtime or shootout, they take the Atlantic and face the New Jersey Devils in the first round, while Tampa Bay would face Toronto. If Boston loses in regulation, overtime or in a shootout, the Lightning win the division and the Bruins take on the Leafs. *******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******