TORONTO — Hockey Night in Canada turned into a Maple Leafs showcase as Toronto erupted for a commanding 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators to open their first-round playoff series on home ice Sunday.
Mitch Marner led the blue-and-white brigade with a goal and two assists, setting the tone early in the Leafs’ statement win. The top seed in the Atlantic came out flying, going 3-for-6 on the power play and controlling the tempo from puck drop to final buzzer.
🎙️ “It’s always good to start with a W,” Marner said post-game. “But Tuesday’s going to be a tougher climb—we’ll be ready.”
🔥 FIRST PERIOD FLARE-UP
The Leafs wasted no time firing the playoff engine. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, back from injury, opened the scoring with a snipe from the slot at 7:09. Minutes later, Marner made it 2-0 with a filthy breakaway finish after a slick setup from Auston Matthews.
Ottawa clawed one back thanks to Drake Batherson, who jammed in a rebound past Anthony Stolarz—making his playoff debut and looking solid between the pipes with 31 stops on the night.
🚨 STOLARZ STANDS TALL
The Sens came out buzzing in the second, but Stolarz slammed the door with back-to-back saves on Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto—two highlight-reel stops that kept Toronto in control.
💪 POWER PLAY DOMINANCE
Toronto turned penalties into paydays. John Tavares pounced on a rebound for a 3-1 lead, then William Nylander made it rain with a 5-on-3 snipe, stretching the gap to 4-1.
Ottawa’s Ridly Greig tried to spark a rally early in the third, but Morgan Rielly answered instantly with a deflected point shot to snuff it out. Matthew Knies capped things off on the power play with a crease-crashing goal for the 6-2 final.
🎙️ “The power play’s been rolling,” said Leafs coach Craig Berube. “Credit to the boys for getting into the dirty areas.”
🎯 DISCIPLINE COSTS SENS
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk didn’t mince words after the loss.
“Clear as day—we took too many penalties, and they made us pay. That’s on us,” he said.
Coach Travis Green echoed that sentiment, pointing to early nerves and costly calls that tilted the ice Toronto’s way.
📝 GAME 2 OUTLOOK
Game 2 drops Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena (7:30 p.m. ET). Expect the Sens to come out swinging, while the Leafs aim to keep their foot on the gas and ride the wave of momentum.
