<p>The <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/combinations">Toronto Maple Leafs&#8217;</a> return to the Battle of Ontario could not have gone any better.</p>
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<p>Okay, maybe a 6-0 win would have been better, but considering the stakes that have come with this series, they couldn&#8217;t have started the series in a more satisfying way. They got the lead early, they capitalized on their opportunities, and they <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/3-keys-defeating-ottawa-senators-first-round-stanley-cup-playoffs">didn&#8217;t stray away</a> from their style of game. They got scoring from all around the lineup, whether it be the core four, the back end, or complimentary players, and the end result from the total team effort was six goals out of 24 shots on Linus Ullmark.</p>
<p>Oliver Ekman-Larsson kicked the game off with a boom, taking a sweet dish from Scott Laughton before wiring it past Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark. Marner flipped the puck bar down on a breakaway to make it 2-0, and although the Sens made it 2-1 before the end of period, the Leafs gave them little to no breathing room. Ottawa began taking reckless penalties, leading to two power plays and subsequent goals from John Tavares and William Nylander, and although the Sens got one back in the third period, it took all of 45 seconds for Morgan Rielly to snatch the lead back.</p>
<p>Matthew Knies added one for good measure only seconds after blocking a shot with his hand, and the game ended with a grocery list of penalties following end of game scrums. It even featured a player named Domi trying to break free from a ref to fight a Sens player. Truly a modern rendition of the Battle of Ontario, right down to the final score.</p>
<p>You can make all the jokes you want about the Leafs being a team to impose &#8216;playoff experience&#8217; on their opponent, and they would be warranted to an extent. But tonight&#8217;s game was a picture example of a team chock full of players with playoff experience against a young, inexperienced team. The Senators had no shortage of energy, but the more the Leafs scored, the more frustrated they got and the more penalties they took.</p>
<p>The Leafs can take this win and be proud of what they did, but they have to approach the next as if they&#8217;re down 1-0 in the series. Ottawa will undoubtedly come back with a better effort, and the goals likely won&#8217;t come as easily. But, all we can focus on for the time being is tonight, and if tonight&#8217;s game was any indication of what a Craig Berube&#8217;s Leafs team will bring in the playoffs, it&#8217;s going to be a fun series.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators LIVE POST GAME ft. Nick Alberga | Rd. 1, Game 1 Reaction" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TVWdiPw5KVw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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The <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/combinations">Toronto Maple Leafs'</a> return to the Battle of Ontario could not have gone any better.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
Okay, maybe a 6-0 win would have been better, but considering the stakes that have come with this series, they couldn't have started the series in a more satisfying way. They got the lead early, they capitalized on their opportunities, and they <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/3-keys-defeating-ottawa-senators-first-round-stanley-cup-playoffs">didn't stray away</a> from their style of game. They got scoring from all around the lineup, whether it be the core four, the back end, or complimentary players, and the end result from the total team effort was six goals out of 24 shots on Linus Ullmark.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson kicked the game off with a boom, taking a sweet dish from Scott Laughton before wiring it past Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark. Marner flipped the puck bar down on a breakaway to make it 2-0, and although the Sens made it 2-1 before the end of period, the Leafs gave them little to no breathing room. Ottawa began taking reckless penalties, leading to two power plays and subsequent goals from John Tavares and William Nylander, and although the Sens got one back in the third period, it took all of 45 seconds for Morgan Rielly to snatch the lead back.

Matthew Knies added one for good measure only seconds after blocking a shot with his hand, and the game ended with a grocery list of penalties following end of game scrums. It even featured a player named Domi trying to break free from a ref to fight a Sens player. Truly a modern rendition of the Battle of Ontario, right down to the final score.

You can make all the jokes you want about the Leafs being a team to impose 'playoff experience' on their opponent, and they would be warranted to an extent. But tonight's game was a picture example of a team chock full of players with playoff experience against a young, inexperienced team. The Senators had no shortage of energy, but the more the Leafs scored, the more frustrated they got and the more penalties they took.

The Leafs can take this win and be proud of what they did, but they have to approach the next as if they're down 1-0 in the series. Ottawa will undoubtedly come back with a better effort, and the goals likely won't come as easily. But, all we can focus on for the time being is tonight, and if tonight's game was any indication of what a Craig Berube's Leafs team will bring in the playoffs, it's going to be a fun series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVWdiPw5KVw

<strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong>
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