A look back at the spirited Battle of Ontario playoff clashes between Leafs, Sens

The Battle of Ontario is returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For the first time since 2004, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will go head-to-head in a seven-game playoff series.

The rivalry between the two Ontario-based teams has dried up considerably since the early 2000s, with both sides going through long stints of lacklustre hockey.

Following the lockout campaign of 2004-05, the Sens continued to be regulars when it came to spring hockey, making the playoffs eight times over the next 12 years, highlighted by an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final in 2007.

The Leafs, on the other hand, went through one of the toughest stretches in franchise history, qualifying for the playoffs just once in 11 years from 2005-06 to 2015-16.

Following the additions of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, the Leafs turned a corner in 2016-17 and began a run of nine straight playoff appearances, capped by winning the Atlantic Division on Tuesday night. 

Recently, it's been the Senators’ turn to struggle. The team missed the playoffs seven straight years starting in 2017-18 before breaking the streak this season.

Since their last playoff meeting in 2004, the Senators and Maple Leafs have both made the playoffs in the same year on only two occasions.

Let’s take a look back at their rivalry, which, at its height, was one of the best in recent hockey history.

Stumpy Thomas the hero in 2000 

Steve Thomas

The first playoff meeting between the two franchises came in the opening round of the 2000 postseason.

After some tough years as an expansion team in 1992, the Sens were starting to make a name for themselves with their fourth straight playoff appearance in 1999-00.

The Leafs, meanwhile, were a season removed from falling to Dominik Hasek and the Buffalo Sabres in the Eastern Conference Final and were determined to make another deep run after finishing first in the Northeast Division.

Game 3 was highlighted by an unusual incident when Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph accidently knocked over referee Mick McGeough in a fit of rage after allowing a goal he thought should of been disallowed because of goalie interference in the third period. He was given a 10-minute misconduct as the Leafs lost 4-3. 

The series was knotted at two games apiece after each side won both of their games on home ice.

Game 5 at the Air Canada Centre was a thriller to say the least.

Trailing 1-0 late in the third period, captain Mats Sundin made a nifty drop pass to fan favourite Steve Thomas who hammered home the puck with an explosive slapshot from just past the faceoff dot.

The dramatic back-and-forth overtime was filled with unbelievable chances and even better saves from goalies Curtis Joseph and Tom Barrasso, leaving Hockey Night in Canada legend Bob Cole to proclaim, “We’re still going…I don’t know how they’re going, but they are.”

Ottawa nearly won the game after a bad giveaway from behind the net by Joseph, but a fortunate bounce sprung speedy Leafs forward Sergei Berezin on a two-on-one with Thomas, who tapped in the game-winning goal to send the ACC into a frenzy.  

It was Thomas’ second on the night and fifth of the series.

With Game 6 back in the nation’s capital, the Sens took a 2-0 lead before Thomas, Sundin, Berezin and Leafs legend Wendal Clark, who was playing in his last NHL season, scored second-period goals to secure the series win.

Curtis Joseph shuts the door in 2001

Curtis Joseph Maple Leafs

The Sens and Leafs would clash in the opening round of the playoffs again the following season.

Ottawa was the favourite this time after earning a franchise-best 109 points, good enough for the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The Leafs finished seventh with 90 points and lost all five games against the Senators during the regular season.

The playoffs turned out to be a different story.

Toronto took the opener in Ottawa 1-0 thanks to Sundin’s overtime goal and a 36-save shutout performance by Joseph.

Cujo was spectacular in Game 2 again, stopping all 37 shots in a 3-0 win to give the Leafs a 2-0 series advantage heading back to Toronto.

It was much of the same at the ACC, as the Leafs held a 2-0 lead through two periods before Marian Hossa finally scored Ottawa’s first goal of the series at the 16:51 mark of the final period. Daniel Alfredsson tied the game in the final minute to send Game 3 to overtime.

This time it was Leafs depth defenceman Cory Cross who played hero in overtime with a hard slapshot off a long rebound by Sens goalie Patrick Lalime.

In Game 4, Joseph stopped 21 of 22 shots to lead the Maple Leafs to a 3-1 win and a series sweep of their provincial rival.

Daniel Alfredsson ratches up rivalry in 2002

The Maple Leafs and Senators would square off in the playoffs for a third straight year, this time in the second round.

The Maple Leafs survived a long seven-game series against the New York Islanders while the Senators upset the Philadelphia Flyers in five games.

The two sides alternated wins over the first four games, highlighted by a triple overtime game-winner by Leafs veteran Gary Roberts in Game 2, as the series shifted back to Toronto for Game 5.

With just over two minutes remaining in regulation and the game knotted at 2-2, Ottawa captain Alfredsson nailed Darcy Tucker into the boards from behind before netting the game-winner just seconds later.

The non-call sent the Leafs’ bench and their fans into a frenzy as the Senators moved to within one game of their first-ever Eastern Conference Final.

That night added a few degrees of hate to an already hostile rivalry as Alfredsson became public enemy No. 1 in Toronto.

Back at home, the Senators came out flying in Game 6 with Hossa and Alfredsson scoring within the first five minutes of the first period to give Ottawa the quick lead.

Bryan McCabe and Roberts tallied power-play goals later in the period before Roberts netted his second on the night – and seventh of the playoffs – with seven minutes left in the second to give the Maple Leafs a one-goal lead.

The game was tied 3-3 entering the third after Todd White scored late for the Senators.

Alexander Mogilny scored the game-winner for the Leafs in the third period, sending the series back to Toronto for Game 7.

Mogilny scored twice more in that game and Joseph stopped all 19 shots as the Leafs blanked the Sens 3-0 to eliminate their provincial rival for a third straight campaign.

Toronto would go on to lose the Eastern Final to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.

Darcy Tucker takes on the entire Senators’ bench in 2003

Toronto Maple Leafs Darcy Tucker and Ottawa Senators Vaclav Varada

The Battle of Ontario only got more heated the following season.

During the third period of an early March game in the nation’s capital, Tucker, apparently angered by a questionable hit on teammate Travis Green – who now coaches the Sens – jumped into the Ottawa bench to go after tough guy Chris Neil.

It could have been a scene out of the classic hockey move Slapshot as Tucker seemed determined to take on Neil and the entire Senators team. Punches were thrown from all angles as other players got involved while the coaches, Jacques Martin and Pat Quinn, shared a heated verbal exchange.

Tucker received 42 minutes in penalties for his actions while Tie Domi received 34.

Tucker even accused Neil of spitting on him after the game. 

NHL vice-president Colin Campbell suspended Tucker five games for the incident while Domi got three games.

The rivalry was not renewed in the playoffs, however, as the Leafs dropped a seven-game series to the Flyers in the opening round.

Ottawa was a game away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final, but lost Game 7 of the East Final to the New Jersey Devils to end their best season in franchise history.

Daniel Alfredsson mocks Mats Sundin in 2004 

During an early January game against the Nashville Predators in 2004, Sundin mistakenly threw his stick into the stands in frustration after it broke.

The captain was handed a one-game suspension and happened to serve it with the rival Sens in town a few nights later.

During the third period of a 7-1 rout of the Leafs, Alfredsson’s stick broke in similar fashion and he decided to pretend to throw what was left of it, poking fun at his Swedish countryman.

The players on the Leafs’ bench didn’t find it too funny, however, especially given their history.

One last playoff clash in 2004

Toronto Maple Leafs Ed Belfour and Ottawa Senators Patrick Lalime

A few months after the stick throwing fiasco, the Sens and Leafs would square off in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

At this point, the rivalry was boiling over.

After 38-year-old Leafs goalie Ed Belfour picked up his third shutout of the series in Game 5 to give his side a 3-2 lead, Alfredsson guaranteed the Senators would win the series. 

Ottawa got part way there when Mike Fisher scored in double overtime of Game 6 to force a do-or-die Game 7 in Toronto.

What transpired next was one of the lowest moments in franchise history for the Senators.

The Maple Leafs won Game 7 by a score of 4-1 with veteran Joe Nieuwendyk scoring a pair of very soft goals on Lalime from nearly the same spot in the first period.

“What’s going on?” asked broadcaster Bob Cole after the second Nieuwendyk marker late in the first.

Lalime wouldn't play another game in a Sens uniform as Ottawa was once again bounced by the rival Maple Leafs.