Overview

• The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will face off in the first round of the NHL playoffs starting Sunday, marking their first postseason meeting since 2004.
• The series revives the 'Battle of Ontario,' a once-intense rivalry defined by heated playoff clashes in the early 2000s, with Toronto winning all four previous series.
• Toronto enters as Atlantic Division champions, boasting a star-studded roster led by Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander.
• Ottawa returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2017, emerging from a lengthy rebuild with a young core featuring Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Jake Sanderson.
• The Senators swept the regular-season series against the Leafs 3-0, adding intrigue as both teams emphasize the emotional and competitive stakes of the matchup.