TORONTO — Mitch Marner’s standout performance with a goal and two assists guided the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in the opener of their first-round playoff series on Sunday night.
Contributing to the Maple Leafs’ dominant display, William Nylander and John Tavares each recorded a goal and an assist. Additional goals came from Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Morgan Rielly, and Matthew Knies, while Auston Matthews provided two assists. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz was also pivotal with 31 saves.
“The energy was really high,” remarked Tavares. “There’s a reason it’s called the Battle of Ontario. It was a closely contested game, but we know there’s room for us to improve.”
For Ottawa, Drake Batherson and Ridly Greig managed to find the back of the net, while Linus Ullmark had 18 saves in a challenging outing. “We need to redirect our focus,” said Ullmark, reflecting on the defeat. “It’s a long series. That’s the beauty of playoffs.”
Game 2 of this best-of-seven showdown is set for Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena before the series moves to Ottawa for two games.
This series marks the first playoff encounter between these provincial rivals in 21 years, the last occurring on April 20, 2004, when Toronto emerged victorious over Ottawa in Game 7. Post-2004, both teams traveled divergent paths with Ottawa reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2007 and Toronto enduring a lengthy playoff drought.
Returning to playoff action in 2017, the Maple Leafs built a promising young core led by Matthews, Marner, and Nylander. Ottawa’s journey of rebuilding took longer, but the fruits of their labor became evident this season as captain Brady Tkachuk made his playoff debut after seven seasons.
“This season has been about staying committed to our journey,” noted Senators coach Travis Green. “And now it’s the same in the playoffs.”
The Leafs took the early advantage at the 7:09 mark of the first period when Ekman-Larsson’s shot found its way past Ullmark, inciting joy among the home crowd. “The atmosphere was electric,” Stolarz shared. “The crowd’s energy really pushed us forward.”
Despite a strong defensive effort from Jake Sanderson clearing a dangerous puck near Ottawa’s net, Marner capitalized on a pass from Matthews to double Toronto’s lead. Batherson answered back for Ottawa, redirecting a rebound to put his team on the scoreboard.
Toronto regained control during the second period, with Tavares extending the lead to 3-1 through his own rebound following a power-play opportunity. Nylander soon added another power-play goal, taking the score to 4-1 with Toronto capitalizing on their chances with the man advantage.
Ottawa’s discipline was a concern, highlighted by Tkachuk’s comments: “Our penalties hurt us. We need to show more restraint.” Fabian Zetterlund had a chance to change momentum late in the second, but Stolarz’s clutch saves maintained the 4-1 scoreline.
“Timely saves are crucial, especially in playoff scenarios,” noted Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube. “They can determine the outcome.”
Greig managed to narrow the gap for Ottawa early in the third period, but Rielly swiftly restored Toronto’s three-goal cushion with a fortunate deflection 45 seconds later. Knies completed the scoring on yet another power play opportunity.
“Staying out of the penalty box is essential,” Green stated candidly. “A couple of calls seemed questionable, but it’s difficult for referees. Nevertheless, we can’t afford to have that many infractions.”