One of hockey’s most storied rivalries returns Saturday night on Hockey Night in Canada as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators renew the Battle of Ontario. The rivalry’s latest chapter was written in last season’s playoff series, adding even more edge to an already heated matchup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators face off for the first time this season since their playoff meeting last year, a series Toronto won 4–2. While the Leafs advanced, the matchup was far closer than many expected. Every game was tightly contested, with three going to overtime, before Toronto ultimately proved to be the better team and closed out the series.

Regular season success

The Ottawa Senators dominated the regular-season series, winning all three matchups and outscoring the Maple Leafs 9–3. Dating back to the 2023–24 season, Ottawa has largely had Toronto’s number in regular-season play. However, the narrative has always flipped when it matters most. In the playoffs, the Maple Leafs have owned the rivalry, holding a perfect 5–0 record in postseason series against the Senators. Two of those series went the distance, with Toronto winning decisive Game 7s in both 2002 and 2004.

Hot start for the Leafs

The Maple Leafs came out flying in Game 1, scoring two early goals from Oliver Ekman-Larsson and former Maple Leaf Mitch Marner. Ottawa responded with a goal from Drake Batherson, but Toronto continued to control the pace of play. The Leafs added two more goals in the second period to extend their lead, then traded goals early in the third before Toronto capped off a dominant 6–2 victory.

If Game 1 was any indication of what was to come, the Maple Leafs had little trouble handling the Senators and looked firmly in control of the series from the opening night.

Game 2 told a much different story. The contest was far tighter, as the Senators battled back from a 2–0 deficit with a second-period goal from Brady Tkachuk and a third-period equalizer from Adam Gaudette. That set the stage for the first overtime game of the series, with Ottawa pushing to even things up and Toronto looking to take full control at home.

Early in the extra frame, Max Domi burst up the ice and ripped a wrist shot past Linus Ullmark to seal the win for Toronto. While the Maple Leafs grabbed a 2–0 series lead, the Senators controlled long stretches of play and pushed Toronto hard, making it clear this series was shaping up to be much tighter than Game 1 suggested.

Commanding lead for the Leafs

Game 3 was another tight contest between the two rivals. Anthony Stolarz and Linus Ullmark were sharp early, keeping the game scoreless after one period. The Senators broke through first on a power-play goal by Claude Giroux early in the second, but the Leafs responded seven minutes later with a power-play tally from Matthew Knies to tie it 1–1 heading into the third.

Needing a strong start, Toronto struck just 30 seconds into the final frame as Auston Matthews snapped one past Ullmark to give the Leafs a 2–1 lead. Ottawa answered later in the period with a goal from Brady Tkachuk, forcing a second straight overtime. Overtime ended almost immediately, as Simon Benoit scored right off the faceoff to give the Maple Leafs the win and a commanding 3–0 series lead.

The Senators turn the tide

Heading into Game 4, the Senators knew they had to take the series one game at a time. Ottawa came out flying, scoring twice early to take a 2–0 lead before John Tavares cut the deficit late in the first. Matthew Knies tied the game 2–2 in the second period, a period where Toronto largely controlled the play.

The third period tightened up, but David Perron restored Ottawa’s lead with a goal midway through the frame. The Leafs responded again, as Oliver Ekman-Larsson snapped one past Linus Ullmark to force overtime. Overtime was cautious and tense until Jake Sanderson ended it with just over three minutes remaining, lifting the Senators to a 4–3 win and keeping the series alive. Ottawa finally had hope.

Down 3–1 and heading back to Toronto, Ottawa faced long odds. But the Maple Leafs delivered one of their worst performances of the season, laying an egg in a 4–0 loss. Suddenly, momentum swung to the Senators, who had cut the series to 3–2 and breathed real life back into the matchup. Doubt crept in among Leafs fans, with familiar questions resurfacing about whether this team was truly different from years past. With Ottawa surging and confidence growing, Toronto knew it would need a strong response in Game 6 to close out a Senators team riding an emotional high.

The game that meant everything

Heading into Game 6, the roles felt reversed. It was a must-win game for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Senators had clawed their way back into the series and, as the underdog, were playing with nothing to lose. The nation’s capital was buzzing, with a loud and energized crowd inside the building.

Despite the pressure, it was Toronto that struck first. Auston Matthews opened the scoring on the power play to give the Leafs a 1–0 lead. Early in the second period, William Nylander doubled the advantage, making it 2–0. Ottawa responded shortly after, as Brady Tkachuk cut the deficit in half and injected life back into the Senators.

The third period saw Ottawa push hard for the equalizer, and David Perron delivered, tying the game at 2–2. With tension building late in regulation, the Leafs found their moment. Max Pacioretty ripped a shot past Linus Ullmark to restore Toronto’s lead. From there, the Maple Leafs shut things down defensively, and Nylander sealed the win with an empty-net goal to close out the game.

This series marked the resurgence of the Leafs-Sens rivalry, a matchup that hadn’t been competitive since the late 2010s. Currently, the Ottawa Senators sit four points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. While the Senators may have the upper hand heading into tomorrow’s matchup, the boys in blue will be ready to fight hard and reclaim some momentum.