With the 2024-25 Stanley Cup Playoffs finally underway, the Toronto Maple Leafs would look to make a statement in game one against the Ottawa Senators, after finishing the regular season as the hottest team coming into the postseason.
Some familiar faces would return to the Leafs’ lineup, as defensemen Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson would be slotted back in, making this Toronto team more dangerous on the back end.
Scotiabank Arena would be filled with Blue-and-White fans on their feet getting ready for a new postseason run, waiving the playoffs towels in an atmosphere not like what we have seen in the regular season.
Everyone was playoff ready.
In the first period both teams would show a playoff style start with aggressiveness right out of the gate which is what fans and teams have been craving all season.
As the pressure continued mounting on Ottawa, The Leafs would strike First as Ekman-Larsson would put the puck past Sens netminder Linus Ullmark for the first goals of the game, giving the Leafs a 1-0 lead.
Not long after, Auston Matthews would send Mitch Marner on a breakaway, he would be able to capitalize on the opportunity going bar down on Ullmark making it a two goal game.
After an electric start from the Buds, it was time for the Senators to answer back as Drake Batherson would find a way to put one past Anthony Stolarz cutting the Leafs lead in half.
In a dominating first, Toronto would take a one goal lead into the intermission looking to add in the middle frame.
To start the Second The Senators would take costly penalties leading to a Leafs powerplay which would see John Tavares tapping home his own rebound into the net, making the lead extend back to two goals.
Toronto Would then find themselves on a 5-on-3 power play where they were able to take advantage with William Nylander ripping one past Ullmark making it a 4-1 game.
“Yeah I just took it off the wall and I mean either had Auston (Matthews) on the one-timer or the shot so just decided to shoot it” Nylander said about his goal on the 5-on-3.
In the final period of play, Sens forward Ridly Greg would cut the Leafs lead to two goals but that wouldn’t meant a whole lot as 45 seconds later, Morgan Rielly would get one back for Toronto.
With tempers starting to flair, Ottawa would once again be shorthanded and the Leafs would make them pay with Matthew Knies Joining the scoring party in the 6ix.
As the clock would wind down, Toronto would see themselves in the win column taking game 1 at home 6-2, setting the tone taking a 1-0 series lead.
After the game, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube had a chance to talk about his feeling on how his team played in the series opener.
“Its going to be physical and I thought we did a good job controlling our emotions and playing through it, you have to,” Berube said. “It’s going to be a battle and it was.”
The Leafs “Core Four” would also start the series on a high, totaling nine points in the opening game.
Use CodePHN15 Another holiday come and gone, and still you sit on that worn out couch.
“Just to start of with a win is great, we got to look forward to the next one, its going to be harder to win the next one, were gonna look to try to figure out how we can even be better Tuesday,” Marner said on the early success of the big four.
With the Leafs only starting the series with a win and Ottawa likely to come back stronger, Toronto will look to be prepared this coming Tuesday, as they continue the Battle of Ontario on home ice.
