John Tavares remembers watching the knife-edged action as a young hockey player dreaming of the big stage.
Auston Matthews has seen the highlights and heard the stories.
The run-through-a-wall passion. The crackling atmosphere. The tension. The drama.
The Battle of Ontario was among hockey’s biggest rivalries for a time. The dormant dogfight is set to reignite anew.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators open their first-round NHL playoff series Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena, the first post-season meeting between the provincial opponents since those heated clashes more than two decades ago.
“Great battles,” Tavares said. “Great teams going at it.”
The veteran centre from just west of Toronto in Oakville, Ont., was on the edge of his seat supporting the team in blue and white as the Leafs beat the Senators four times in the playoffs between 2000 and 2004, including two Game 7 victories.
“The intensity was pretty unbelievable,” Tavares added.
Matthews, meanwhile, grew up in Arizona, but knows all about the history.
“The Battle of Ontario speaks for itself,” said the Leafs superstar captain. “It’s been a long time. Two very proud cities, proud franchises. We know what we’re in for.”
Toronto made the playoffs for a ninth straight campaign, but continues to search for just its second series victory in the NHL’s salary cap era. Ottawa, meanwhile, is back in the post-season for the first time since 2017 after finally emerging from a long and painful rebuild.
“Something that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” said Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, a playoff freshman. “Only fitting it’s the Battle of Ontario.”
The Leafs enter the matchup as decided favourites after topping the Atlantic Division with firepower up front led by Matthews, Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander.
WATCH l Maple Leafs, Senators set to renew playoff rivalry:
As the Toronto Maple Leafs get set to face off against Ottawa, CBC’s Greg Ross breaks down what to watch for as the so-called “Battle of Ontario” rivalry is once again rekindled.
A remade defence corps with more bite than years past added Chris Tanev in the summer and Brandon Carlo at the trade deadline, while goaltender Anthony Stolarz has been lights out with eight straight wins to end the regular season.
“It’s gonna be a bloodbath,” Stolarz said of the series. “It’s gonna be a little bit of a war.”
Toronto hired Stanley Cup-winning head coach Craig Berube and his…
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