The Senators faced off against the Maple Leafs on three occasions this season, posting a perfect 3-0 record to go undefeated in their three-game season series.
The first meeting between the two teams came on the road on November 27, with the Senators shutting the Maple Leafs out for a 3-0 victory. Tim Stützle, Josh Norris and Michael Amadio all scored for the Senators, while Linus Ullmark made 27 saves in net for the shutout.
The Battle of Ontario came to Ottawa on January 25, which saw the Senators win by a tight score of 2-1. Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto each scored a goal for the Sens, while Anton Forsberg made 28 saves for a .966% save percentage.
Most recently, the Senators travelled to Toronto to defeat the Maple Leafs by a score of 4-2 on March 15. Jake Sanderson, David Perron, Claude Giroux and Michael Amadio scored for the Senators, while Linus Ullmark posted a .913%
It would be hard to find a player that fans are more excited to see in the playoffs than Brady Tkachuk. The Senators captain will get his first taste of playoff hockey this week — and he’s hungry. Tkachuk suited up for the United States at this year’s 4 Nations Face-Off in one of the biggest tournaments of his young career, and he made no mistake making a splash. Scoring three goals in four games, including a goal in the tournament final, Tkachuk’s passion and skill was on display like never before. If the Tkachuk we saw at the 4 Nations comes to play this week, Sens fans are in for a treat.
Returning to the playoffs for the first time in three years is Claude Giroux. On a young Senators’ team, Giroux brings with him 95 valuable games of playoff experience. In that span, Giroux has tallied 28 goals and 53 assists for 81 playoff points. His leadership is an asset to the Senators all season but will be all the more important for the playoffs.
As the longest-tenured active Senator, Thomas Chabot may be more ready than anyone for his first taste of the NHL Playoffs. Chabot is the only remaining player on the Senators’ roster to have skated in a regular season game with the team in the 2016-17 season, the year of their last postseason appearance. Chabot will be entering the playoffs red-hot, having closed out the regular season with three goals and seven assists for 10 points over the course of a six game point streak.
The Senators are a skilled, young team excited and energized to enter their first NHL postseason. Leading the way will be the likes of Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig. They are young players at the start of their careers, unproven in the playoffs but full of the skill and talent needed to be successful. Whether it’s the scoring prowess of Stützle and Pinto, the vital defensive capabilities of Sanderson, or the bite of Greig, every player on the team will have their role.
The Senators are a largely unproven team in the playoffs. With a young core, they do not have much experience in the postseason. On their roster, three players have won a Stanley Cup in their career: David Perron (St. Louis Blues, 2019), Michael Amadio (Vegas Golden Knights, 2023) and Nick Cousins (Florida Panthers, 2024). These three players will be integral to the team as they enter the battle for the Stanley Cup.
They say playoff games are determined by which team’s goalie is better. While there is more to winning the Stanley Cup than just the goaltender, there come times when a team needs their netminder to steal a game for them. Both Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg have made their share of highlight reel saves this season, robbing opponents of sure goals. Facing off against a team with several scoring threats in the Maple Leafs, the Senators will be counting on their Swedish goalie duo to continue their strong play from the regular season.
Rivalries are often born in the playoffs. Look at the Ottawa-Montreal rivalry, that was sparked and fueled by the electric round one series in 2013. Moments like the line brawl in the Senators 6-1 victory or Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s hat-trick are cemented in the minds of Senators fans when they recall the series that made the rivalry what it is today.
Think of the Buffalo Sabres; meeting in the postseason on four occasions would create bad blood between any two teams. Remember the overtime goal from Daniel Alfredsson, which sent the Senators to the Cup final for the first time in franchise history.
It’s something special to enter a playoff series with a rivalry pre-established, to feel the excitement and tension before either team has even stepped foot on the ice. The Battle of Ontario has been going strong for decades, and it’s only going to grow stronger with this year’s playoff matchup. An unproven playoff-hungry Senators team faces off against a Toronto team desperate to shake its reputation for a first round exit. One thing is certain: this series will be electric.
Game one of the Battle of Ontario comes tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. ET in Toronto. Fans can watch on Sportsnet or TVAS, or listen live via radio on TSN 1200 or Unique FM.
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