Toronto Maple Leafs: 4 Competitve Teams the Leafs Must Beat in the Standings

With the first half of the season officially in the books, the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves sitting in a playoff spot in a very tight Eastern Conference.

The Leafs have also found their groove on the ice, winning their last 4 contests.

Using their offensive depth, new-found stability from goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, and an improved penalty kill, Toronto finds themselves playing their best hockey since their 9-3-1 start to the 2011-2012 campaign.

Toronto has shown that they should not only be jockeying for a playoff spot, but should be trying to make a run for 5th or 6th place in the East.

Here are 4 competitive Eastern Conference clubs the Maple Leafs should finish ahead of come season's end.

Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets are one of the "Cinderella Stories" of the NHL this season.

Propelled by their 15,500 enthusiastic supporters each home game, the Winnipeg Jets have posted a stellar 14-6-1 record at the MTS Center.

The problem for the Jets is that they aren't yet ready for postseason play. Their 6-11-4 record on the road shows how inconsistent they are, and their lack of scoring depth is bound to hurt this young squad.

Their upcoming schedule doesn't provide any reason for optimism either. Winnipeg will play teams currently in playoff positions in 5 of their next 6 games.

If Toronto can stabilize their goaltending situation and continue to kill penalties at a decent clip, they should easily finish ahead of the Jets come April.

Ottawa Senators

Despite their current surge to the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference, the Ottawa Senators will likely regress to a lower seed or could miss the postseason altogether.

Relying on career journeyman Craig Anderson in net, an aging captain up front, and an inconsistent—albeit very talented—player like Jason Spezza is not exactly the recipe for a postseason run.

Everyone knows defense wins championships. In the NHL, solid defensive play is also a key to making the postseason. Being in the bottom five in the league in both goals against per game, as well as shots against per game doesn't bode well for the Senators.

Toronto should be able to find a way to pass Ottawa by season's end, especially with three head to head matchups remaining on the schedule.

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers are another one of the Eastern Conference's surprise teams at the halfway point of the 2011-2012 NHL season.

While many had expected the Washington Capitals to win the Southeast Division again this season, their struggles after winning their first seven allowed an upstart Florida team to claim the third seed in the East.

A renaissance year for Jose Theodore and acquisitions made primarily to reach the cap floor have resulted in overwhelming success for Florida.

Florida's recent struggles however, prove that their lack of depth and experience is too much of a weakness to overcome. Right now, Washington has closed the gap on the division leading Panthers and will probably pass them by season's end.

This means that they will be in direct competition with Toronto for a playoff position, and Toronto should be able to earn more points than Florida fairly easily.

Buffalo Sabres

While the Buffalo Sabres may be struggling at the moment, it would be unwise to count them out of the playoff picture.

Right now, they sit five points out of the final playoff spot, currently held by Washington.

With players bound to return from injury and a goalie who can catch fire at any point in Ryan Miller, it is not out of the realm of possibility for Buffalo to make a push for the postseason.

The Maple Leafs however, should finish ahead of Buffalo regardless.

The last two head to head matchups have been perfect examples of how Toronto is a much better team, as well as a team that is more built to make a playoff run.

If Toronto wants to be a legitimate playoff contender, staying ahead of Buffalo in the Eastern Conference standings is a must.