Ottawa Senators alive and getting ready for Game 5 of Battle of Ontario

Jake Sanderson of the Ottawa Senators celebrates his overtime goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 at the Canadian Tire Centre on April 26, 2025. Photo by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photo /Getty ImagesArticle content

Nobody in Ottawa will be happier to go back to work on Monday morning than the Senators.

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Less than 48 hours ago, they could have easily been packing their bags and heading their separate ways for the off-season.

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The Senators haven’t accomplished anything, but a thrilling 4-3 overtime decision over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of the Battle of Ontario on Saturday night means Ottawa players will be back on the ice at the Canadian Tire Centre before heading to enemy territory.

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Even if the Senators don’t win this series, they didn’t get swept against their arch-rivals, and they were able to get a win in front of a fan base that hasn’t seen a playoff victory in this city in eight years. The video of the thrilled fans leaving the rink is something to behold.

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Trailing 3-1 to the Leafs in the first-round series, the Senators haven’t seized any momentum after Jake Sanderson scored the OT winner to keep the season alive, but the club has given itself a second chance against the Leafs, and those opportunities don’t come along often in life.

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“It’s one game at a time right now,” coach Travis Green said Sunday as the club enjoyed a well-deserved off day. “Everyone knows that, and everyone is going to tell them that. It’s not that complicated. Worry about the next game.”

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The Senators are trying to become only the fifth team in the history of the National Hockey League to erase a 3-0 deficit and come back to win a series. Ninety-eight per cent of teams in this position go on to win the series, so the odds are still stacked against Ottawa.

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Jake Sanderson (not shown) of the Ottawa Senators scores against Anthony Stolarz of the Toronto Maple Leafs to win Game 4 in overtime. Photo by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photo /Getty ImagesArticle content

But with two days between games, the Maple Leafs will spend the hours before Game 5 hearing all about how the club is 1-13 in elimination games since 2018. Usually, you can dismiss what’s happened in the past, but some of the current group is part of that history.

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Coach Craig Berube is confident his group can turn the page.

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“They have done a great job of that throughout the season,” Berube said Sunday. “There are ups and downs throughout the season, but our guys have responded well. The leadership has really grown here. That’s the key: our leaders leading the way.

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“I expect the same in Game 5. We played a good game and didn’t come out on top, but I think our guys will be ready to go and will be highly competitive for Game 5. The leadership has been very good, and that is the key. I don’t expect anything different.”

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The Senators made the first step by forcing the Leafs to host Game 5 in the first place. A victory can plant the all-important seed of doubt.