Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs on collision course for Battle of Ontario in playoffs

Toronto Maple Leafs’ Simon Benoit (2) flies through the air as he collides with Ottawa Senators’ Adam Gaudette during a game earlier this season. Photo by Justin TangArticle content

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The Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs are on a collision course for a first-round playoff series this spring.

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Yes, the Battle of Ontario could be back.

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The Senators and Leafs haven’t met in the post-season since 2004, but if the puck were dropped on the National Hockey League’s playoffs this morning, they’d be foes in Round 1.

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The Leafs stretched their lead over the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning to three points in the Atlantic Division with a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night.

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The Panthers and Bolts both have a game in hand, but three points can be a lot to make up as the calendar turns to the final month of the regular season and the playoff picture is not completely settled.

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The Senators are sitting comfortably in the first wild-card spot in the East, seven points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers, with the clock quickly winding down on the season.

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If the standings don’t change between now and when the Senators close out the campaign against the Carolina Hurricanes on April 17, then the Battle of Ontario will be reignited for the first time in 21 years.

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The previous time they met, the Senators dropped a 4-2 decision to the Leafs in Game 7 at Scotiabank Arena and that ended coach Jacques Martin’s eight-year stint behind the club’s bench.

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And, if social media is any indication, that’s the matchup Ottawa fans want to see because they believe it’s time for the Senators to turn the page on the history of the rivalry and start a new era.

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The Senators have an 8-16-0 record in playoff series.

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However, Senators coach Travis Green — who was a key player for the Leafs in those series against Ottawa when the Battle of Ontario was at its best — always has noted that what’s happened in the past stays in the past.

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Ottawa posted a 3-0-0 record against the Leafs this season after closing out the season series with a 4-2 win in Toronto on March 15. The Senators outscored the Leafs 9-3 in those three games.

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A Battle of Ontario sure beats Ottawa fans heading to the Tankathon website to see what chances the club has of getting the first-overall pick in the June draft.

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Before anybody gets too excited, the Senators first have to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2017 to make the dream a reality.

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Coming off a three-point weekend with a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday and a 1-0 OT loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, the club has a 99% chance of making the post-season, according to Sportlogiq.