The Battle of Ontario is back on.
For the first time since 2004, the Maple Leafs and Senators will meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Leafs won that series in seven games, giving them a perfect 4-0 record against the Senators in the playoffs. Toronto defeated the Senators, 4-2, in the 2000 conference quarterfinals, then swept Ottawa in the same round the following year.
The teams would go to seven games in the 2002 conference semifinals, before going the distance again two years later.
Battle of Ontario playoff history
- 2000 conference quarterfinals: Maple Leafs won, 4–2
- 2001 conference quarterfinals: Maple Leafs won, 4–0
- 2002 conference semifinals: Maple Leafs won, 4–3
- 2004 conference quarterfinals: Maple Leafs won, 4–3
The Battle of Ontario has featured several memorable moments throughout the years, but things get ratcheted up to a new level in the spring.
Leafs fans will recall Darcy Tucker trying to fight the entire Ottawa bench in 2002, while Sens fans have tried to forget Patrick LaLime's tough showing in Game 7 against the Buds in 2004.
The odds for the 2025 renewal of the Battle of Ontario favor the Leafs, but one thing we know for sure is that we will get more craziness when these two rivals hit the ice in Game 1.
