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The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators square off in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, renewing the Battle of Ontario rivalry.
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A question mark to play in Game 1 for the Leafs, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was on the ice and taking part in the team’s optional morning skate on Sunday.
Head coach Craig Berube said afterward that Ekman-Larsson is good to go.
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By Chris Johnston and Julian McKenzie
There have been more unwelcome blue-and-white nights at Canadian Tire Centre in recent years than the locals care to remember ahead of a reborn Battle of Ontario.
Truth be told, fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs have rarely met much opposition while scooping up tickets on the secondary market and turning the building into a home away from home.
Ask any Ottawa Senators season-ticket holder why that’s been the case and they tend to point to a confounding chicken-or-egg dilemma: The games against the Leafs (and Montreal Canadiens) became such an unpleasant experience over time that many simply started opting out. But if the most passionate fans choose not to be in the building, how does the pendulum ever swing back in the other direction?
“That’s definitely fed upon itself,” said Kevin Lee, a Senators season-ticket holder since 2010-11. “Some fans get annoyed by the opposition and then they just sell (tickets) wherever and it ends up being more Habs or Leafs fans there. Like, I get it. It’s really weird being in the home building, but it feels like an away game.”
Read more below.
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Ottawa vs. Leafs fans: How the Senators are trying to stop a blue-and-white takeover
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Our senior NHL columnist and insider at The Athletic Pierre LeBrun surveyed hockey executives and coaches, asking them to predict the Maple Leafs-Senators Battle of Ontario matchup.
It went 12-1 in favor of Toronto.
Read more below.
GO FURTHER
NHL execs and coaches pick the playoffs’ 3 monster first-round matchups
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The Maple Leafs and Senators squared off three times in the regular season. The Senators were 3-0 against the Maple Leafs this season.
Ottawa won 3-0 on Nov. 12, 2-1 on Jan. 25 and 4-2 on March 15. Keep in mind that Leafs captain Auston Matthews did not play in the first game. Joseph Woll was in net for the Leafs in the second game. Forwards John Tavares and Matthew Knies also didn't play for Toronto in the second game.
Toronto's last win over Ottawa in the regular season was Dec. 7, 2023.
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The Ottawa Senators finished with a 45-30-7 record. That earned the Senators 97 points and the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Ottawa finished fourth in the Atlantic Division. It was the first time since 2017 the Senators qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs finished the regular season with a 52-26-4 record. That was good for 108 points, the fourth best in the NHL and the third most in franchise history.
The Leafs won the Atlantic Division for the first time in franchise history.
April is just about the busiest time of the sports year.
March Madness and the Masters are behind us, but the NBA and NHL playoffs are underway. The NFL Draft is next week, the Kentucky Derby is on the horizon and the Formula One Miami Grand Prix isn't far away either!
There's no better place to follow all the action than The Athletic, with our award-winning journalism covering all that and more. You can subscribe to The Athletic on an exclusive offer here.
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We want to hear from you!
Who do you think will win tonight's Game 1? Can any of these teams make a run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
Send us your thoughts at live@theathletic.com or the Senators-Maple Leafs discussion page.
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Game 1 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series is on ESPN2 in the U.S. John Buccigross (play-by-play), Kevin Weekes (color) and Dave Jackson (rules analyst) will be on the call.
In Canada, the Battle of Ontario playoff series is on Sportsnet/CBC. Chris Cuthbert (play-by-play), Craig Simpson (color) and Kyle Bukauskas (reporter) will be on the call.
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Game 1 of the Maple Leafs-Senators begins at 7 p.m. ET. That's 4 p.m. PT.
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Greetings hockey fans! Welcome to The Athletic's live coverage as the Toronto Maple Leafs begin their Stanley Cup Playoffs journey against the Ottawa Senators in the first round.
The Leafs are trying to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967. The first step is a first-round series against the Senators, reigniting the Battle of Ontario rivalry.
Follow our live updates as we build up toward Game 1.
