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SCP G1 — Battle of Ontario |
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The first game of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the battle of Ontario begins tonight between the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Puckdrop is at 7pm EST from the Scotibank Arena.
Regular Season Game One
The Ottawa Senators blank the Toronto Maple Leafs at their own barn by the final score of 3-0. Ottawa showed up to play with early goals in the Battle of Ontario. Linus Ullmark earned his first Senators’ shutout in Shane Pinto’s return game. This also got Ottawa back to above 0.500 in the win/loss record at 8-7-0.
This is what happened in the goal scoring department:
Period I
Josh Norris going to scoring started right away for the visiting club at 41 seconds into the game. The former Sharks’ sixth goal of the season was assisted by Claude Giroux and Artem Zub. This was Zub’s first assist of the season. The cause of this was from a horrendous turnover by Nylander that Zub caught. Norris retrieved the puck and passed it to Giroux. As Giroux entered the zone, he back passed it back over to a rushing Norris, who found the space early for the game winner.
Period II
The Senators potted two goals in 43 seconds early in the middle frame before holding down the fort for Ullmark.
Tim Stützle earned his seventh goal of the year of a wrister from Drake Batherson and Thomas Chabot. After an initial attempt that was disallowed, Chabot retained the puck on the blue line. He moved it down low to Batherson who moved the biscuit to a rushing Stützle beating Stolarz blocker side.
Mike Amadio netted his second Sens’ goal from Zub. This was a failed pinch attempt by the Leafs’ defense that Amadio rushed from zone to zone to zone, getting it pass Stolarz glove side.
Players to Watch
Mitch Marner was a -1 in 21:27TOI. Marner had a takeaway; shot on net; and blocked shot; he also had two hits and giveaways.
Shane Pinto had his first game back and looked good. That much time away mess up the flow of the team and the player, but he fit right in with the ex-Leafs on the third line. He was three for nine in the faceoff dot. He won his only shorthanded opportunity, but split 50/50 in the defensive zone at even strength. In the offensive zone and neutral zone at 5v5, the center was ineffective. His return also had two first period shots on net. The 3C was also a +1 from the Amadio goal. Pinto skated 15:14TOI in 23 shifts.
Goalies
Anthony Stolarz allowed 3 goals on 41 shots faced. The netminder had a 0.927 save percentage. All three goals were at even strength.
Linus Ullmark earned his first shutout with the Ottawa Senators, and ninth in his career. Ullmark stopped all 27 home team shots.
OTT Three Stars of the Game
1. Linus Ullmark — first shutout in Senators’ career
2. Josh Norris — GWG (6)
3. Artem Zub — 2 assists (2)
Regular Season Game Two
PG 49 v Toronto — Season Series is Red
The Ottawa Senators have claimed the regular season series matchup over the Toronto Maple Leafs after a 2-1 in regulation time.
Period I
The undrafted Bobby McMann opened the scoring of the game for the visiting team as he comes within one goal of matching his career high. McMann’s 14th was supported by the second leading assist skater, Mitch Marner, at 53. Stanley Cup winner Oliver Ekman-Larsson had the secondary assist.
A minor penalty for tripping on Pontus Homberg set up the game tying goal on the powerplay for Tim Stützle for German’s 16th goal of the regular season; his third in the special team. Jake Sanderson and Claude Giroux had the secondary assists.
Period II
Ridly Greig had the final penalty of the game against Auston Matthews.
No goals scored; Toronto shot a dozen times in Ottawa; the home team had only five shots in 20 minutes.
Period III
Breaking the tie for the game winning goal was a deflected shot off Shane Pinto for his ninth goal of the regular season. Matthew Highmore had the primary assist; Thomas Chabot had the secondary helper.
Players to Watch
Toronto — Jacob Quillian only played 5:21 in his NHL debut over 7 shifts. A non-factor.
Ottawa — Jake Sanderson had the primary assist on the opening goal for the home team. His 23:38 was third on ice time behind Chabot and Zub by seconds.
Goaltenders
Jospeh Woll saved 21 of 23 Sens’ shots against for a 0.913 save percentage.
Anton Forsberg saved 28 shots faced of 29 against for a 0.966 save percentage.
Sens’ Three Stars
1. Anton Forsberg — W, 96.6 SV%, 29SV
2. Shane Pinto — GWG (9)
3. Tim Stützle — PPG (16)
Regular Season Game Three
The Ottawa Seantors sweep the Toronto Maple Leafs; yet are on the verge of being swept in the series against Montreal. With that, Ottawa and Montreal now hold the two Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference.
Ottawa outscored Toronto 9-3, including one shutout, in the three games against each other this season. In Game 66, Jake Sanderson; David Perron; Claude Giroux; and Michael Amadio scored. Toronto had goals from William Nylander and Austin Matthews. Ullmark had 21 saves on 23 shots faced for a 0.913 save percentage. Stolarz had 21 saves on 24 shots for a 0.875 save percentage.
From Prediction Blog
Both teams shook up their defense, goaltending, and coaching over the summer while adding offense at the trade deadline.
Ottawa is still dealing with growing pains, but offers a lot of upside. Toronto is in win now mode given the pending free agents and the age of their core.
Ottawa has the grit and toughness to edge the Leafs; and maybe the better goaltender in Linus Ullmark.
How can the Leafs win the series
1. Recent Experiences — between the winnings from Berube, OEL, Lorentz, and Stolarz, accomplished veteran presence may help the core get over the hump.
2. Future of Marner — this could be the final season of winger Mitchell Marner, who is a pending unrestricted free agent and is looking for that healthy pay raise with a new contract.
3. Adverse Auston — Leafs forward Auston Matthews has been open about his upper body injury over the season and how it may impact him going forward. His first full season as the captain of Toronto is facing its biggest test with the postseason.
How the Senators win the series
1. Toughness from Tkachuk Through — the physicality will be need to push and get under the skin of Toronto in each and every single game. Despite the regular season, we all know the playoffs are different.
2. Ullmark — the undisputed number one starter of the Ottawa Senators goaltending crease must stand on his head to pull a game or two away from the Maple Leafs.
3. Deadline Deals — Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund have been valuable additions to the Ottawa roster since trade deadline that did see Josh Norris and Noah Gregor leave the franchise.
X Factor
Senators — Claude Giroux — the 2006 first round draft pick has 81 playoff points in 95 career games between the Flyers and Panthers, including a 2010 Cup final appearance.
Maple Leafs — John Tavares — the 2009 first overall draft selection has 46 points in 62 postseason games; highlighted by two second rounds appearances with the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dark Horse
Sens — Adam Gaudette — after a breakout 17 goals this season with Ottawa, the depth scoring he provided will be crucial toward an upset. Any point will become his first ever postseason point.
Leafs — Max Pacioretty — the veteran has been in and out with injury, but has proven to still have the goal scoring touch.
Black Ace
OTT — Ridly Greig — his first ever postseason performance will be a competitive one, and may involve punches and points. He did instigate a brawl last season after the slap shot on the empty net that triggered Morgan Reilly. After a career high 33 points, the 2020 first round pick may prove to a be a late steal from the draft.
TOR — Janni Hakanpää — after spending most of the season rehabbing a knee injury, a healthy veteran defenseman on the Leafs’ backend may shut down the depth scoring of the Senators.
G1 Preview
This series sets the stage for the first Battle of Ontario playoff series in over 20 years. Ottawa dominated the regular season series, going a perfect 3-0-0 and outscoring Toronto 9–3. The last time these rivals clashed in the postseason was 2004 and this time, a new generation of fans will get to witness the rivalry in full playoff force. The playoffs are coming back to Ottawa. Don’t miss your chance to be there.
It’s something special to enter a playoff series with a rivalry pre-established, to feel the excitement and tension before either team has even stepped foot on the ice. The Battle of Ontario has been going strong for decades, and it’s only going to grow stronger with this year’s playoff matchup. An unproven playoff-hungry Senators team faces off against a Toronto team desperate to shake its reputation for a first round exit. One thing is certain: this series will be electric.
From 2000-04, these two provincial rivals met in the postseason four times in five seasons, with the Maple Leafs winning each time. As such, Toronto's all-time record in postseason games against Ottawa is 16-8.
The last of those meetings came in the 2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, which Toronto won in seven games. No one at the time could have guessed that the Maple Leafs would win just one playoff series in the next 21 years, that coming in six games against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round in 2023.
More than two decades later, the two teams meet again after the Maple Leafs won the Atlantic Division. It is the first time in 25 years the Maple Leafs finished atop their division in a full season, having previously done it in 1999-2000 when they were still playing in the then-Northeast Division. They did also win the all-Canadian North Division during the shortened 2020-21 season, which was truncated due to the coronavirus pandemic.
While the Maple Leafs are making their ninth consecutive appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Senators are in the postseason for the first time since 2017 when they lost in double overtime in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Toronto Maple Leafs added Artur Akhtyamov as their third goaltender for the series against the Ottawa Senators, the team announced on Sunday. Anthony Stolarz is expected to start; and Jake McCabe is good to go; OEL is TBD.
Projected Lineups
Toronto Maple Leafs
Matthew Knies -- Auston Matthews -- Mitch Marner
Pontus Holmberg -- John Tavares -- William Nylander
Bobby McMann -- Max Domi -- Nicholas Robertson
Steven Lorentz -- Scott Laughton -- Calle Jarnkrok
Morgan Rielly -- Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe -- Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit -- Philippe Myers
Anthony Stolarz
Joseph Woll
Scratched: None
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Max Pacioretty (undisclosed), David Kampf (upper body), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (upper body)
Ottawa Senators
Brady Tkachuk -- Tim Stutzle -- Claude Giroux
David Perron -- Dylan Cozens -- Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig -- Shane Pinto -- Michael Amadio
Nick Cousins -- Adam Gaudette -- Fabian Zetterlund
Jake Sanderson -- Nick Jensen
Thomas Chabot -- Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven -- Nikolas Matinpalo
Linus Ullmark
Anton Forsberg
Scratched: Dennis Gilbert, Travis Hamonic, Matthew Highmore
Injured: Hayden Hodgson (lower body)
Players to Watch
Toronto — Auston Matthews — Captain America. Papi. The future all time leading goal scorer of the Maple Leafs. Matthews must pull through for his team in his inaugural year as captain.
Ottawa — Brady Tkachuk — the American captain is quite the tough customer, and the Leafs might not have the answer.
Predicted Final Score
TOR — 5
OTT — 2
More to come…
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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