Revisiting the Maple Leafs’ Playoff Dominance of the Ottawa Senators in the Battle of Ontario

Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, the positive vibes would quickly be snuffed out by Martin Brodeur and the trap-loving New Jersey Devils. On their way to a Cup triumph, the Devils would smother Toronto 4-2, allowing a mere six shots in a series-clinching Game 6 2-0 shutout.

2001 Playoffs, First Round: Maple Leafs Win 4-0

In something of a regular season role reversal from the season prior, the Maple Leafs regressed by 10 points, dropping from the top spot in the division down to third, as well as seventh in the East. Conversely, it was the Senators who took the mantle of division champions thanks to a stellar 109-point campaign. Once the two clubs were aligned for a rematch, however, none of that mattered.

In Game 1 in Ottawa, an overtime goal by Sundin broke what had been a 0-0 standstill and, more importantly, killed much of the optimism stemming from the Senators’ regular season. That proved to be enough to open the door for the Maple Leafs to take over, with Joseph earning a second straight road shutout in Game 2 as the series made its way back to Toronto. Back home, they got help from unlikely overtime hero Cory Cross in Game 3 to take a 3-0 lead. At that point, the soul-crushed Sens were easy pickings for a sweep, which Yanic Perreault helped deliver with a two-goal Game 4 performance.

Once again, beating the Senators set Toronto up for a date with the Devils. While the Maple Leafs made some headway in comparison to their second round clash the year prior (including heading home with a 3-2 series lead), they ultimately could not put New Jersey down for good and would wind up losing in seven games.

2002 Playoffs, Second Round: Maple Leafs Win 4-3

The 2002 postseason showed that Ottawa had learned a thing or two from their Ontario rivals. Emerging from the regular season as the seventh seed, they followed Toronto’s blueprint from the year prior by upending the No. 2 seed (the Philadelphia Flyers, in this instance) in the first round. However, any positive momentum that afforded the Senators was soon swallowed up in a second round meeting with the Maple Leafs, fresh off ousting the New York Islanders in seven games. Ironically, it was current Ottawa head coach Travis Green who scored the Game 7 winning goal for Toronto to set up a third straight meeting.

To their credit, the Senators made a statement right out of the gates, crushing the Maple Leafs 5-0 in Game 1 in front of their home crowd. Yet, that momentum only lasted as far as their Game 2 triple-overtime marathon, in which Gary Roberts secured a 3-2 victory after 104:30 of play. The two teams traded wins over the next four games, as Toronto prevented Ottawa from closing the series out on home ice and forced a Game 7.

In Game 7, the Maple Leafs snuffed out any hopes that the Senators might be able to change their fortunes, shutting down Ottawa’s offence to the tune of no goals and just 19 shots allowed in a 3-0 win. Toronto moved on to the Eastern Conference Final, where they came up short against the Carolina Hurricanes in a six-game series.

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2004 Playoffs, First Round: Maple Leafs Win 4-3

The Maple Leafs came one game away from setting up another second round encounter with the Senators in the 2003 postseason, but were ousted in seven games by the Flyers, who would then fall to Ottawa. The two teams would not stay apart for long, though, as they found themselves on opposite ends of the ice once again in the first round of the 2004 Playoffs. For their second straight series clash, seven games would be needed. And for the fourth straight time, Toronto would emerge victorious.

In what was a low-scoring series (the two teams combined for just 3.57 goals per game), Mike Fisher notched a double-overtime game-winner in Game 6 to keep the Senators alive, only for Joe Nieuwendyk to anchor a commanding 4-1 Game 7 victory with two goals. Shortly thereafter, the Maple Leafs would be right back to struggling against playoff teams from places other than Ottawa, as they fell to the Flyers in six games one round later.

Following the 2004 Playoffs, Toronto would not return to the postseason for nearly a decade – and the Senators could not have been happier. They would go on to win four series in the first two post-lockout seasons, including a trip to the Cup Final.

There is some evidence of the Battle of Ontario years to be found within the two organizations. Green saw action for the Maple Leafs in the 2002 series between the teams, while his assistant, Ottawa legend Daniel Alfredsson was easily the most recognizable Senator of that time period. Meanwhile, Sundin, Tucker, Joseph and others remain involved with Toronto and could pop up in ambassador-related capacities during the series. Beyond that, there likely aren’t many players with strong memories of any of the series. And if you’re a Senators fan, that’s very good news.