Leafs anticipate ‘intense’ new chapter in Battle of Ontario

The Maple Leafs defeated the Buffalo Sabres 4-0 at KeyBank Center on Tuesday. The team is off on Wednesday.

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The Battle of Ontario is finally back in the playoffs with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators set to faceoff in the first round this year. 

"It'll be cool," said Leafs captain Auston Matthews. "I mean, it's been a long time."

The Leafs and Senators haven't clashed in the postseason since 2004. It came close to happening in 2017 when the Leafs surprisingly made the playoffs in the first season of the Matthews era, but a regulation loss in the regular-season finale meant Toronto faced the Washington Capitals instead. The Senators reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final that year, but haven't been back to the playoffs since. 

Until now.   

"They're a good young team," said Matthews. "They're hungry. They've taken steps as well. It's going to be great. It's going to be fun. It's good for hockey. Obviously, it's going to be intense."

Anthony Stolarz went even further. 

"It’s going to be a bloodbath," the Leafs goalie said. "It’s going to be a little bit of a war. We’ll be ready."

This used to be an annual occurrence. The provincial rivals faced off four times in the playoffs between 2000 and 2004. Now it's finally time for the next generation to write a new chapter. 

"Bring it on," said winger Steven Lorentz, who grew up as a Leafs fan in Kitchener, Ont. "I’m excited. It’s exciting for the fans. Obviously, there’s a lot of passion, both organizations."

Lorentz still remembers watching Joe Nieuwendyk score twice on Patrick Lalime in the first period of Game 7 in 2004 to put the Leafs on track for that win.

"I grew up watching this series when I was a kid a few times, so I got fond memories, and to be able to play in it now is just super special," the 28-year-old said. 

It's been so long since the Leafs and Senators played games this meaningful that not everyone remembers what it was like. Mitch Marner grew up in the Toronto area and cheered for the Leafs but blanked when asked about the old Battle of Ontario installments. 

"I'll have that for you guys next time," the 27-year-old said with a smile. 

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The Leafs won all the previous series against the Senators and will once again be the favourites after finishing first in the Atlantic Division for the first time. 

"It's a goal that you set out to claim that," Matthews said. "It's a good step for our group. Obviously, it's a top division, so a good checkmark for us. Obviously, a lot of work to be done, but a good little checkmark for us."

By finishing first, the Leafs avoided facing the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who won three of four games against them in the regular season. 

Toronto got it done in impressive fashion by going on a 12-2-1 run following a loss to the Senators on March 15. 

"It means a lot," Marner told TSN. "This is what we set our goal for at the end of the regular season, so it's a great accomplishment by our team, especially with the injuries we dealt with through all season and just guys stepping up in big moments."

This is only the third time the Leafs have topped their division in the NHL's expansion era (since 1967-68). Toronto won the all-Canadian North Division during the COVID-shortened season in 2021. This is the first time the franchise took home a regular season division crown in a full 82-game year since 1999-2000. 

"It’s awesome," said Lorentz, who signed with the Leafs after winning the Atlantic Division and lifting the Stanley Cup with the Panthers last season. "I’m really proud of this group. It’s a big deal and it says a lot about the buy-in."

The team adapted well to the north-south system implemented by new head coach Craig Berube this season. 

"The guys have done a great job of buying into what we preach and how we want to play," Berube said. "That's the biggest thing. The buy-in is everything, and they've bought into it. Starts with our leadership group being bought in and it trickles down. Like, that's the bottom line. Really is."

"We're just bought in maybe a little bit more in that defensive-zone system," said Marner of the change this year.

Of course, there's no guarantee that the regular-season success will translate to the postseason. The Leafs have won just one series out of nine they've contested in this era despite racking up plenty of regular season wins. 

But it certainly does feel different this year. 

Last year, the Leafs didn't have much to play for down the stretch and lost their final four regular season games (0-3-1) before bowing out in seven games to the Boston Bruins. 

"Obviously, we can't change what's happened in the past," Matthews readily acknowledges. "I think you wear that. You've got to push through that and put your best foot forward. But, obviously, it's a new year, new circumstances, a lot of new faces, new coaching staff ... I feel really confident in this group. I think we've put in a lot of work over the season. Obviously, earning the division here is a big step for us, but we just want to continue to push forward."

And while the Leafs produced 51 wins this season, including a franchise record 25 on the road, they also went 0-3-0 against the Senators. 

"They make it hard on you through the neutral zone and their D zone," Marner said. "We've got to be ready for that." 

The Leafs have lost five straight games to the Senators. Toronto's last win over Ottawa was on Dec. 7, 2023.

"They're a good team," Berube said. "They obviously have made a push this year to be where they're at. They got a core group of young players that have been together for a while, and they've gotten over that hump and made the playoffs. They're a very good team. [Linus] Ullmark, he's a solid goalie, big guy. So, they're a very good team. It'll be a battle."

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Adding to the good vibes for the Leafs on Tuesday was the fact that Marner and Matthews both hit significant personal milestones. 

Marner scored late in the third period to become only the fourth player and first winger in franchise history to record 100 points in a season.  He joins Darryl Sittler, Doug Gilmour and Matthews in that exclusive club. 

Matthews, who entered the game sitting on 399 career goals, picked up the primary assist on Marner's milestone marker. 

"It's pretty special," Marner said. "What a great play there by Tone to make that pass over. I knew his [next] goal was for 400 and we were trying to connect together on that, but an unbelievable pass by him. A pretty special moment. I have a lot of friends that came down to this game from Toronto that are here to celebrate so it's cool to get it front of them."

A notorious "late planner," Marner reached out to his brother and six buddies late Monday night to arrange a "party bus" to take them to Buffalo to be at the game.

A loud scream briefly interrupted Marner's post-game media session. 

"That’s definitely one of my buddies," he said with a smile. 

Marner had come painfully close to triple digits previously finishing with 99 points two years ago and 97 points three years ago. This year, he wouldn't be denied. 

"It's well-deserved," said Matthews. "He does so much for this team. He's an incredible player, and a special person. It's really nice to see him accomplish that feat. It's not easy. He's had a heck of a season for us."

Only a couple minutes after Marner's goal, Matthews sealed the win with an empty-net tally becoming the sixth fastest player in NHL history to reach 400 goals (628 games). The only others to reach the mark in fewer games are Wayne Gretzky (436 GP), Mike Bossy (506 GP), Mario Lemieux (508 GP), Brett Hull (520 GP) and Jari Kurri (608 GP).

Matthews is only the second Leafs player to score 400 goals joining Mats Sundin, who scored 420. Matthews is on track to break that franchise record next year.

"He's a special player and I've been lucky enough to be with him for nine years," Marmer told TSN. "A lot of ups and downs, but we've been with each other through it all."
And now they both go into the playoffs on a high. 

Berube was asked what reaching 100 points may do for Marner heading into the most pressure-packed games of the season. 

"Well, I mean, he's played really good hockey this year, so I don't know why he would end going into the playoffs," the coach said in a matter-of-fact tone. "He's just got to keep doing what he's doing. You know, he's done a great job of doing things for us the right way throughout the year, penalty killing, power play, 5-on-5, along with everybody else."

Marner finished last year's playoff series against the Bruins with three points, which was a career low for him. 

Last year, Matthews missed out on a milestone at the end of the regular season, finishing one goal shy of 70. He then had four points in five games in the series against Boston. 

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Stolarz improved to 4-0-0 in Buffalo with three straight shutouts at KeyBank Center. 

"Did not know that," he said with a shrug and a grin. "Something about the buffalo wings the night before. So, good food."

Stolarz is feasting on every opponent he faces these days. He has won eight straight games with an .950 save percentage in this stretch. 

Is he playing the best hockey of his career? 

"Probably," the 31-year-old said. "But a lot of it is the guys in front of me. They’re making my job really easy."

"That's very humble of him to say," Matthews responded, "because, I mean, I feel like he bailed us out a lot."

Stolarz raised his season save percentage to .926, which leads the entire league among those with at least 25 starts. 

"He's just so calm and composed in there," Matthews said. "He doesn't really seem to get out of position or anything."

Stolarz used his 6-foot-6 frame to turn aside 35 Buffalo shots on Tuesday, including a flurry of good looks when the Sabres had a power play and then their goalie pulled late. 

"He's just very calm," Berube observed. "Just in that 6-on-5, you know, at the end, they had some opportunities, but he did a good job tracking the puck and getting in position. He's a big guy, so he's capable of getting in position. There's not a lot of room there, so he's played big."

And now Stolarz is set to make his first career Stanley Cup playoff start. 

"He just brings it," said Lorentz, who played with Stolarz last season in Florida. "He’s a gamer. He doesn’t take anything super seriously and I think that’s what makes him so good. He’s gotta keep doing his thing, keep rolling, not change a thing."

Stolarz is 0-2-0 against the Senators this season. His last loss actually came against Ottawa on March 15. 

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Lorentz scored his eighth goal of the season to get the Leafs on the board in the second period on Tuesday. It ended up being the game winner, his fifth of the year. 

"When I score I kind of black out," said Lorentz, who tallied just once in 38 regular-season games with the Panthers last year. 

Toronto's new look fourth line of Scott Laughton between Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok is showing positive signs since being put together a couple games ago. 

"It was just a good fourth-line shift," Lorentz said of his goal. "Got the puck up, Jarny got it in, played behind the net, cycled it down to Laughty and he made a great backhand pass, and Jarny was at the net. I mean, that’s textbook hockey the way we want to play. We just got to keep that chemistry going."

Lorentz kissed Laughton's helmet on the bench to show his appreciation for the pass. 

"We kind of think the game at the same level," Lorentz told TSN during an intermission interview. "Kind of always know where he’s going to be on the ice and it makes my job so much easier when he’s in the right spots, and Jarny too."

The veteran trio was put together on Sunday ahead of the Leafs win in Raleigh against the Hurricanes. 

"We’ve built some good chemistry," Laughton told TSN in an intermission interview. "We talk a lot off the ice. They’re easy guys to play with. It’s straight lines and we’re pretty simple with pucks."

"They're reliable," said Berube. "They do the right things ... It seems like they have good chemistry together. They all work and compete, and they scored a big goal for us."

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Leafs lines in Tuesday's game: 

Knies - Matthews - Marner
Domi - Tavares - Nylander
McMann - Holmberg - Robertson
Lorentz - Laughton - Jarnkrok

Benoit - Tanev
Rielly - Myers
Mermis - Carlo

Stolarz
Woll