The Battle of Ontario is one of the most storied rivalries in the NHL. Although it lacks the history of the Battle of Alberta between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs’ clashes have been no less bloody. In 2002, Darcy Tucker hit Daniel Alfredsson from behind but didn’t draw a penalty, leading to a controversial game-winning goal. The following season, Tucker attacked Chris Neil on the bench, causing a brawl that resulted in 163 penalty minutes called in the game. The year after, Alfredsson mocked Mats Sundin’s suspension for throwing a broken stick into the stands, which drew plenty of ire from the Maple Leafs’ faithful.
The bad blood between the two franchises was summed up perfectly by Toronto’s goalie, Anthony Stolarz. “It’s gonna be a bloodbath,” he said. “Gonna be a little bit of war. So, we’ll be ready.”
That statement might seem somewhat misplaced. The Maple Leafs finished first in the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference with 52 wins and 108 points, while the Senators squeaked into the playoffs with 45 wins and 97 points. Toronto’s offence was led by Mitch Marner with 102 points and William Nylander, who finished with 45 goals, his third consecutive 40-plus goal season. Ottawa’s top scorer, Tim Stutzle, had just 79 points, and no one surpassed 30 goals, with Brady Tkachuk coming the closest with 29.
However, the two teams are more evenly matched than they look. In the three matchups between the Senators and Maple Leafs this season, Ottawa took home all three. Furthermore, both teams have very similar effectiveness on special teams, and when it comes to goaltending, Ottawa boasts the more consistent starter. Although they’ll still have an uphill battle, the Senators have a chance to take the series home over their Ontario rivals. A few things have to go perfectly for them, though.
Brady Tkachuk Is Back to 100%
When captain Brady Tkachuk went down with an upper-body injury on March 30, Senators’ fans were beside themselves. Tkachuk is the face of the franchise and arguably the most impactful player on the roster, and if he were hurt for the playoffs, the Senators didn’t stand much of a chance, no matter who they faced. Against the Maple Leafs, however, he was a wrecking ball, throwing 12 hits over three games and firing seven shots on net. He didn’t manage to get a goal in those three games, but his presence pushed…
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