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Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Senators Cry Foul, Maple Leafs Respond: Game 2 Gets Interesting

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jim Parsons | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 11:15 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a statement in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Ottawa Senators. Toronto cruised to a 6–2 victory on Sunday night, powered by a red-hot power play that converted three of six opportunities. However, following the game, Senators head coach Travis Green attempted to spin the narrative, suggesting that the Leafs may have been embellishing or “selling” calls to get the upper hand.

“I thought there were a couple of calls that they did a good job selling,” Green said. “It’s tough on the refs. We can’t take that many penalties, for sure.”

Maple Leafs Respond to Claims They Sold Calls

That jab by Ottawa’s coach didn’t go unnoticed. When asked about the notion that the Leafs were intentionally working the officials to get power plays, Auston Matthews pushed back on the narrative after practice on Monday.

“We were hanging onto pucks,” Matthews said. “They’re making calls based on what they feel are penalties. We’re playing hockey… to answer your question, I guess, no, I don’t think we were doing anything special to draw penalties.”

Matthews, who recorded two primary assists and led the Leafs with four hits in Game 1, made it clear the team earned its chances by keeping possession and forcing Ottawa into tough spots.

The Senators Know They Took Too Many Penalties

While Green might want to open the door to questions about the officiating and set the stage in Game 2 for the referees to watch the Maple Leafs a little more closely, even Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk acknowledged that the team’s lack of discipline was costly.

“Obviously, not the result that we want, but it’s clear as day what the issue is,” Tkachuk said. “We took some penalties, they scored on it, and that’s the game. That’s on us. We’ve got to be more disciplined.”

Toronto’s power play was sharp. Mitch Marner (one goal, two assists), Matthews, and John Tavares (two points each) led the charge and the Leafs capitalized on Ottawa’s undisciplined play, with the Senators racking up 15 penalties for 38 minutes—more than double the Leafs’ 18 penalty minutes.

Still, Green’s comments have added fuel to an already intense rivalry.

How Should the Maple Leafs Respond in Game 2?

It may be human nature for the Leafs to ease up if they believe the officials have heard Green’s comments and will be more vigilant in addressing any potential infractions. But the Leafs need to do more of the same in Game 2 as they did in Game 1. Whether they were “drawing” calls or not, it worked. Push the envelope until there is a reason not to.

At the end of the day, if there’s a case to be made for calls being missed, the Leafs might have more of a right to complain. A second-period cross-check from Ridly Greig on Tavares was initially called a five-minute major, but was downgraded to a two-minute minor after review. Greig did not face further discipline on the play, and Craig Berube seemed to think he should. After the game, the coach said, “Call the league,” as he was leaving his media conference. Grieg also seemed to intentionally slide into goaltender Anthony Stolarz.

As for how the Leafs intend to deal with Grieg, Matthew Knies said: “It’s definitely annoying. We’re going to play hard on him and not make it easy for him the rest of the way.”

Game 2 on Tuesday night should be interesting. All eyes will be on how the officials call the game—and whether Green’s comments, or Berube’s, affect how penalties are called.