TORONTO — When the scrums dispersed and the dust settled on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 6-2 outclassing of the Ottawa Senators in Game 1, the visiting coach said something about how good their analytics were at 5-on-5.
Travis Green also said he liked his goaltending, which stopped pucks at a .750 rate. And he suggested that the Maple Leafs weren’t always honest in how they found ways to get on the power play — where they beat up their provincial rivals with three quick, unraveling strikes.
“We definitely have to stay out of the box. I’ll say that,” Green admitted. “I thought there was a couple calls they did a good job selling.”
Perhaps. If you squint hard enough.
But the coach isn’t selling anyone on the notion that this was a close hockey game. Or that his inexperienced group was nearly as prepared for the beast that is the NHL post-season as the division-winning Maple Leafs — all scar tissue and April amnesia at this point.
“Kind of the old saying: You’re not in the NHL till you play in the playoffs,” said a wise David Perron, one of the few Senators who executed a smart, effective game.
Well, Ottawa waited eight years to return to the dance, and we’ll see Tuesday if they plan to be anything but wallflowers.
“I thought the first five, 10 minutes, we were a little nervous, which is probably to be expected,” Green said.
And that’s fair. All but eight Senators woke up Easter morning without a single Stanley Cup tournament game in his basket.
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The Leafs of the past have often been the shakier, more frantic side. Now, they simply looked poised to take advantage of one.
“It definitely helps,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said of that experience. “(Knowing) what to expect and how to keep your team composed and calm and talk about the things that come up in games and series, shift to shift, all that stuff.
“It’s important to have composure. There’s a lot of ups and downs, a lot of things go wrong, things go right, and discipline is very important.”
On 4/20, the Senators rolled up and got smoked.
Even though Ottawa gave trailer Oliver Ekman-Larsson a clean path to the slot and Mitch Marner a no-doubt breakaway, the underdogs had escaped the first period down just 2-1.
They were in the contest until they took themselves out.
Tim Stützle boarded Chris Tanev in the offensive zone. Ridly Greig cross-checked John Tavares in the neck — an infraction both Tavares and Berube suggested the league examine — 200 feet from his own net. And Adam Gaudette, already killing Greig’s penalty, cross-checked Auston Matthews.
Three ill-advised aggressions in under three-and-a-half minutes gave Toronto’s loaded power-play more than enough time to tuck the game away.
“I think we’re just moving our feet and maybe making them reach into, whatever, stupid penalties sometimes,” said William Nylander, one of Toronto’s six goal scorers.
Call it nerves or immaturity, but Ottawa’s eager attempt to set a tone resulted in costly impatience. They took 36 minutes’ worth of penalties to the Leafs’ 16.
“Kudos us for staying disciplined,” winning goalie Anthony Stolarz said. “Guys know how physical playoffs are and how you have to keep your composure. So, our guys deserve a lot of credit tonight for doing that.”
Moreover, all that time in the box allowed way too many Leafs to start feeling good about themselves.
The Core Four, which was limited to a combined 12 points in 2024’s entire best-of-seven against Boston erupted for nine points in 60 minutes.
“They were dialed in,” Stolarz beamed.
Marner, the game’s First Star, already matched his post-season total from last spring, and Playoff Morgan Rielly got on the board with a sneaky sifter from the point.
While the Senators’ most impactful player was wild-card Greig, who scored a goal, “accidentally” crashed Stolarz’s net, and got away with only two minutes for his stickwork on Tavares.
He could be a problem this series. We just don’t know for which team yet.
“We’re disciplined. We’re going to keep being disciplined. We’re going to play hard between the whistles the right way and keep being physical. But we’re not going to get involved in all the antics after the whistles,” Berube said.
“I thought they made some attempts at our goalie, sliding into him and things like that. But that’s not for us to worry about. We’ve got to focus on playing. We’ve got to focus on ourselves and what we need to do. The league will look at all that stuff.”
Hey, it’s only one game, no matter how lopsided the scoresheet.
But it’s already time for the Senators to focus on themselves. They may be underdogs, but they’re better than they showed Sunday.
Even this one game of experience should teach them that much.
Fox’s Fast Five
• Matthew Knies, the youngest Maple Leaf, led the team in ice time in Game 1 (22:29). That tells you everything you need to know about the coach’s trust in the 22-year-old.
• Can’t say we loved Anthony Stolarz’s rebound control on the Drake Batherson strike, but the big man settled down nicely in the second period, stoning Tkachuk on a clean breakaway and Shane Pinto on a dangerous, cross-seam one-timer.
Overall, he was superb in his first playoff start, making 31 saves. He will carry a career-high nine-game win streak into Game 2.
Looks like the guy with the Vezina on the shelf might not be best goalie in the series.
“The atmosphere was great,” Stolarz said. “Kind of goosebumps when you stepped on the ice and the crowd goes nuts. So, I think that propelled us a lot tonight.”
• Who cares about pleasant weather?
Keith and Chantal Tkachuk — who grabbed a couple seats in Scotiabank Arena to watch their youngest’s playoff debut — have chosen the Battle of Ontario over the Battle of Florida.
“Well, they got the Stanley Cup experience last year, so they’re all-in on the Sens right now. They’ll be following us around,” Brady said.
“Probably the most important people in my life that have done so much for me. So, for them to be able to support Game 1 and come along on this ride, it’s going to be so special to share that with them.”
• Do you remember your first playoff game, 36-year-old champion David Perron?
“Vancouver. We lost in four games,” the veteran replied, thinking back to his 2009 Blues. “But they had the Sedin brothers there. Kevin Bieksa probably cross-checking me 50,000 times over four games. Somehow, we became buddies. I don’t know how.
“But I know it’s an exciting time. You play your whole life for this.”
• Scott Laughton — making his first playoff appearance in five years and first with fans in the barn in seven — looked like a man refreshed.
The fourth-line centre set up Ekman-Larsson’s opening goal, chipped in on a perfect penalty kill, won 58 per cent of his draws, and dragged Tkachuk into the box for roughing.
A solid 15-plus minutes of work by a deadline pickup that needed time but is finding his feet here.
