The Toronto Maple Leafs have not had much success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, winning one series since 2004. But they sure looked like the more poised and experienced team Sunday in a convincing 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 of their first-round series at Scotiabank Arena.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored 7:09 into the first period, and Mitchell Marner netted a scintillating breakaway goal five minutes later to set the tone for this one. Each goal followed defensive breakdowns by the Senators, who hurt themselves with miscues, mediocre goaltending and needless penalties throughout.
Toronto, on the other hand, was more patient and in control. They handled momentum surges in the game and capitalized when opportunities arose.
Six different skaters scored for the Maple Leafs and goalie Anthony Stolarz outplayed his counterpart Linus Ullmark. Despite being outshot 33-24, the Maple Leafs never trailed. Marner had a goal and two assists, and fellow stars John Tavares and William Nylander each had a goal and an assist. Auston Matthews had two assists, including the pass on Marner’s breakaway.
The Maple Leafs also scored three power-play goals. And when the Senators pulled within 4-2 early in the third period on Ridly Greig’s goal, Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Reilly scored 45 seconds later to snuff out any hopes of a comeback.
It wasn’t all bad for the upstart Senators, but clearly they looked like the team that hadn’t played a playoff game since 2017, which is what they are.
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3 takeaways after Maple Leafs defeat Senators 6-2 in Game 1 of 1st-round series
1. Core 4 powers Toronto victory
So much of the blame for Toronto’s postseason struggles in recent years falls at the feet of Matthews, Marner, Tavares and Nylander. The Core 4 always is prolific in the regular season and not so much in the playoffs.
This could be their last kick at the can together, though. Tavares and Marner are unrestricted free agents at season’s end, and another failed postseason might lead Toronto management to move away from the Core 4.
So, it was significant that this group totaled nine points and led the way to a convincing Game 1 win Sunday. After years of wilting under the spotlight, there was Marner scoring a beauty, Tavares going to the net to bury another, and Nylander wiring a shot past Stolarz off a Tavares face-off win just three seconds (!) into a 5-on-3 power play. And though Matthews didn’t score a goal, he had two helpers and led the Maple Leafs with six shots on goal and 10 shot attempts.
2. Tale of two goalies
Stolarz was very sharp for the Maple Leafs in his first ever start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 31-year-old stopped 31 of 33 shots, including a game-altering save on Brady Tkachuk’s breakaway 1:20 in the second period. Toronto led 2-1 at the time, after allowing a goal late in the first period. So, had Tkachuk scored, well, who knows what happens. The complexion of the game could’ve completely changed. It was a massive save by Stolarz.
One thing to keep an eye on as the series progresses. Stolarz allowed quite a few rebounds, and was beaten twice after failing to control rebounds. That’s something he needs to clean up.
It was not a great night for Ullmark, and the pressure will mount on him if he struggles again in Game 2. The 31-year-old has now allowed four or more goals in six of his 10 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. That’s concerning because the Senators need him to be a difference maker in order to win this series.
Ullmark allowed two goals on the first four shots he faced, three on eight and four on 10 to put the Senators in a 4-1 hole just 7:19 into the second period. It certainly wasn’t all his fault. But the Senators need better than 18 saves on 24 shots from him moving forward.
3. Let’s get physical
Stolarz said before this series started that it would be a “bloodbath.” The dislike between the teams is real. Even more so among the fans for each team. And, hey, it’s the Battle of Ontario in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so you know it’s going to be physical out there.
This one didn’t disappoint from a physical standpoint. The amped-up Maple Leafs and Senators combined for 41 hits in the first period — Matthews and Tavares had three each, and Tim Stutzle had four for Ottawa. When all was said and done, 83 hits were doled out, 53 by the Senators, with Stutzle’s nine a game high, two more than Tkachuk’s seven. But perhaps the biggest hit was delivered by Toronto’s Simon Benoit, who wiped out Dylan Cozens in the first period with a massive check.
Ottawa’s physical play crossed the line too often, and they were burned by being short-handed six times. Toronto’s 5-on-3 in the second period followed a pair of cross-checking penalties. The first against Greig was originally called a five-minute major because Tavares was hit in the face. It was reduced to a minor penalty after review, but Adam Gaudette compounded things on the PK by cross-checking Matthews into the boards.
There were numerous roughing penalties with 44 seconds left in the third period, though no fighting majors were assessed. Toronto’s Max Domi did land a pretty solid uppercut in his scrum with Gaudette, the Maple Leafs clearly angered by the Senators forward cross-checking Matthews earlier in the game.
