Silver Seven Roundtable: Battle of Ontario Preview

Tomorrow, dear reader, is the first day of the Battle of Ontario. It's the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators in just over 24 hours. On the eve of the Sens' first play-off appearance since 2017, we've convened the staff to take the temperature of the fanbase.

So, the Battle of Ontario. Here we go again. How are you feeling? Excited? Nervous? 

Ross: If I'm honest, I'm feeling very anxious. Those early 2000s losses were painful, and I'm not sure I can handle another defeat to the Leafs. I'm hopeful the Sens can win, but the spectre of another heartbreak against Toronto looms large over my feelings.

Beata: A bit of both. I wouldn't be so nervous about the Sens' big return to the playoffs if they were playing any other team, but it's the Leafs, and oh my god we have to beat the Leafs. At the same time, winning the series would be so good, both because it would be a huge win over our rivals, and because it would be an extremely satisfying narrative.

Owen: I feel alive. After eight years of feeling nothing, give me all the anxiety of postseason hockey. I'm as ready as I'll ever be regardless of the outcome.

Trevor: I'm extremely excited for playoff hockey to finally be back, but the second there is a close play at the net I am going to be jumping out of my seat with nerves. I love being able to care again.

Nada: I'm just excited to see the Sens back in the playoffs. It would be perfect if the first time Tkachuk and Stützle win a series would be a Battle of Ontario but I'm just happy to be here. 

Ary: I think it's time. Sens fans who hate the Leafs – hopefully all of us! – have had practically every other team possible help ensure that Leafs fans do not find happiness: other teams in the division (Florida/Tampa), a hated rival (Montréal), cross-over teams (Washington), randoms (Columbus), and even Boston three times. It's our turn to take up the mantle. The last time the Senators had a playoff drought this long was the five-year period between the franchise's first season (1992-93) to 1996-97, when they faced the Northeast Division winning Sabres and took them to seven games. The very next year, they defeated the New Jersey Devils in six games after the Devils finished first in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa has always embraced the role of the underdog, so I'm excited to see how this edition plays out. 

Shaan: This will actually be my first Battle of Ontario since I started watching games religiously back in 2007, so I don't have those same bitter memories as most Sens fans do. For me, the Leafs are nothing more than a perpetual punching bag for the rest of the league, and losing to them will be just as painful as if it were any other team. I'm still riding the incredible high of having competent people running things in the Sens' organization, and the meaningful games that come with it.

nkb: Right now I'm feeling zen, but there's something in the back of my mind that won't let me forget the pain of all those previous losses to the Leafs in the play-offs. This series feels very much like confronting my demons.

Wait, was that too heavy?

What memory stands out to you the most about the last time these two teams met in the play-offs, in 2004?

Ross: The Patrick Lalime collapse to Joe Nieuwendyk, in Game 7, 2004. That memory tarnishes what otherwise is an otherworldly playoff record for Lalime: career 1.77 GAA, 0.926 sv pct, and now he's remembered as a choker.

Beata: I was five.

Owen: My extremely shameful confession here is that as much as I was alive and old enough to remember this series--I don't remember this series. Teenage Owen was absent from class if you know what I mean.

Trevor: Well I was pretty young, and I started following more intensely in the 2005-06 season. I do remember sort of following along in 2004 and I have a vision of Mike Fisher scoring in OT imprinted into my brain, but I don't know beyond that. 

Nada: I was still young-ish and not as enshrined in hockey but according to my brother, they were just fun games all around so I'm looking forward to this edition.

Ary: I've thought about the Battle of Ontario so often over the last 20 years. With time, I've learned to truly appreciate those Senators teams and the legacies of Jacques Martin and Patrick Lalime. While I remember Ottawa being talked about as the "favourites" in a few of those series, it's important to remember that Toronto had home-ice advantage in three of the four series and had successfully appealed to the media to reduce the pressure on themselves with this faux "underdog" narrative as they used the fact that the league had no salary cap to assemble aging superstars and physical shitheads to surround their core. What's funny now is that I can't imagine any way the Leafs can finagle being seen as anything other than the expected winners of this series despite the Senators' regular season dominance over them. Basically every media pundit has picked Toronto; they've only won one playoff series not just in the Matthews era but since 2004; and they just won their first proper division title in decades. Meanwhile, Ottawa has surrounded their core with... aging superstars and physical shitheads.  I like where we're at.

nkb: Like Ross, I have a vivid memory of Lalime totally whiffing on the two Nieuwendyk goals in the first period of Game 7 in 2004. The feeling of helplessness and inevitability that enveloped me as Lalime let that second squeaker through his five-hole. I would pay a lot of money to have something to counteract that feeling.

Do you have any rituals or traditions for watching the games? Are you superstitious?

Ross: Not really. I will wear my Stützle jersey out at least once in Toronto, but more for fun than superstition.

Beata: I will become superstitious the moment the playoffs begin, but I don't know what those superstitions will be. I've been wearing Sens gear every single day since they clinched, so I do intend to keep that going as long as they're in it.

Owen: I don't think I'll be doing much of any breathing during the games, let alone upholding any rituals. My Sens coffee mugs will probably get some extra mileage though.

Trevor: I wouldn't say I'm superstitious about watching games. Playing is a different story. But as a Vancouverite, it's going to be awesome getting to watch some games with a big group of Sens pals I've met out here.

Nada: Extremely superstitious, I can't say all my rituals but certain mugs don't get used on game day, the hair needs to be styled a certain way etc.

Ary: Yup, all of which have originated in childhood and very much confuse anyone who's met me as an adult. On my childhood street in Pickering, Ontario, everyone was a Leafs fan so my best friend - who lived two doors down - and I converted to Sens fans in the late 90s. We watched almost every single Battle of Ontario game together, in front of the TV, and even though I've moved away, we continue to call each other during every playoff game featuring Ottawa or Toronto. We'll use our phone calls to change up the mojo, such as ending the call if things aren't going well or starting the call again if we need to switch up the momentum. We plan on watching Game 3-4 and (if needed) 6-7 together in-person, which will be fun. Other superstitions include making sure the volume is set to the number that matches the jersey of a Sens player, closing the blinds, and trying not to move from our seat if we're playing well. I'm curious to hear about our readers' superstitions in the comments. 

nkb: I'm not particularly superstitious, but I do believe in being present for every single second of every game. Apologies to anyone that has to be around me during these next two weeks as my devotion is going to be borderline psychotic.

Which Sens' play-off rookie will shine the brightest? 

Ross: There are maybe more obvious answers, but I think the general NHL fan will be shocked by how good Jake Sanderson is. He will break up a Leafs rush with his speed alone at one point and will end up in 100 clips marveling at his defensive prowess.

Beata: Brady is the obvious answer, but I'm going to stick with the answer I gave on the podcast and predict that Thomas Chabot is going beast mode the way he did the last time he played meaningful games (WJC and QMJHL championship).

Owen: He's not a playoff rookie, but he is a Sens playoff rookie and this is exactly why he signed in Ottawa: Claude Giroux will have his signature moment in Sens lore.

Trevor: I'm sensing a huge performance from Sanderson as he puts up some points but also shuts down the Leafs top stars at times.

Nada: I want to say Stützle but I have a feeling Shane Pinto may steal a few shows himself.

Ary: While Ridly Greig is who I want to say because he seems as built for the Battle of Ontario as Brady Tkachuk, I'm going to go with Sanderson because he's clearly the best defenceman on either team. 

Shaan: Sanderson has been, and will continue to be, Ottawa' best player, but nothing would be funnier than Tyler Kleven scoring a game-winning goal in this series.

nkb: Stützle is going to go off and will be the game-breaker the Sens need, but I have a feeling Greig is going to play a leading role – particularly as it comes to shutting down, and getting under the skin of, the Auston Matthews line.

And, lastly, finish this thought: "The Sens will win this series if..."

Ross: Brady Tkachuk is the story of the series. If he can set the tone early and get in Toronto's heads, they're done.

Beata: They get in the Leafs' heads early.

Owen: Ullmark finds his groove early.

Trevor: Ullmark can stand on his head when necessary.

Nada: Everyone stays healthy, Stutzle stays on a role and Ullmark stays consistent

Ary: The bottom-six can consistently generate 5-on-5 offence against the weakest part of the Leafs' lineup. 

Shaan: Ullmark posts a better save percentage than Anthony Stolarz. That's what it all comes down to, because this Leafs team otherwise is the same as in years past. We know at least one of their stars won't show up in this series, but they've been close every year in spite of that and having a league leader in save percentage this time around, adds another dimension. We need peak Ullmark to even have a shot at winning this one.

nkb: The Pinto line keeps Matthews from going supernova and the Cozens line feasts on the weaker competition.