Brady Tkachuk happy Maple Leafs and Senators were able to relive Battle of Ontario

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk felt that the Toronto Maple Leafs were the deepest they have been in years going into their playoff series this past spring.

Tkachuk made an appearance on Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on Tuesday, where he reflected on the intense battle between the forever rivals and what it was like being part of the Battle of Ontario.

“There was a lot of talk going into it, and I think it was great for both cities to relive those memories,” he said. “ I think we’re living in a different age and era of hockey where there wasn’t gonna be fights. That’s not how their team was built, that’s not really how our team is built.  It’s gonna be a really hard, competitive, battles every single shift, but there’s not gonna be no line brawls and going toe to toe.”

The Leafs were able to put themselves in pole position by taking the first three games, with two of them requiring overtime goals from Max Domi and Simon Benoit. While the Senators were able to get two wins to extend the series, Toronto ultimately prevailed in Game 6 to advance to the second round for only the second time since 2004.

While Tkachuk has pondered at times what could have been if Ottawa had been on the winning end of the overtimes, he felt his first playoff experience was a valuable learning lesson that will make him a better player.

“ I think it was just pretty cool to see the first two games, the first two playoff experiences. Their building was super loud and the chants, the chirps, it was a pretty cool experience,” he said. “ Then getting back to our building and being a part of the loudest building that I’ve ever been in, it was so cool.  It’s just spoke to the years of adversity that we faced and for everybody to get through that, not just our team but our city, I think it was pretty special to be a part of.”

Tkachuk may be more focused on how his Senators have done in the offseason, he knows that the rest of the Atlantic has gotten better which makes it the toughest division in the NHL. That means making your mark in every divisional matchup and rising to the occasion.

It also means Tkachuk will have to go toe to toe with Leafs captain and fellow EA Sports cover athlete, Auston Matthews, along the way.

“I’ve known Auston since I think I was 14 or 15, and, he has always been so good. He is just so funny and such a great guy to be around,” he said. “It was pretty awesome for me to be able to learn from him as a captain and what makes him one of the best players in the NHL. I was just super impressed with how dialled in he was and so professional, and how even-keeled he was. It almost felt like nothing bothers him, and he is gonna go out there and lead by example with his work ethic.  I think a lot of the things that he does goes under the radar, and now he is such an important piece for our [US] team, but I was just very lucky to be able to learn from him as well.”

You can watch the full Tkachuk interview down below: