Tonight’s Battle of Ontario has a bit of an edge to it and more than the usual rivalry stuff. Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators are looking up at the playoff line, not down from it, and neither side has exactly come flying out of the Olympic break.
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The Maple Leafs have dropped both games since the schedule resumed, looking slow out of the gate and then scrambling to catch up. The Senators haven’t been much better, picking up just a single point in a tight loss to the Detroit Red Wings, but before the break, they were actually starting to build something.
So here comes a Saturday night that’s supposed to be fun and suddenly feels a little heavier. The Senators are starting a five-game road trip. The Maple Leafs are trying to avoid letting this slide turn into something that swallows their whole season. As we’ve seen time and again, when these teams meet, past results don’t mean much. Somebody pushes their season forward tonight, and somebody slips deeper into trouble.
Item One: Maple Leafs’ Slow Starts Are Becoming a Real Problem
If you watched the last two games, you didn’t need the head coach to tell you what went wrong. Still, he told you anyway. Craig Berube said the Florida Panthers came out with more jump, more energy, and more everything, and he wasn’t wrong. Before anyone had even settled into their seats, Toronto was already chasing the game. It happened against the Tampa Bay Lightning, too. Same pattern, same hole to dig out of.
Yes, the Maple Leafs pushed back later in both games. They usually find their legs, generate pressure, and climb back into it. But we’re getting late in the season, and “eventually” doesn’t cut it anymore. Auston Matthews said the group needs more desperation, and that’s exactly it. They know where they are in the standings. They know the margin for error has basically evaporated. Yet the urgency doesn’t show up until they’re already behind.
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That’s what worries me. Once something becomes a habit, it’s tough to shake. These slow starts aren’t a one-off bad week — they’re inching closer to becoming part of the team’s identity. If they’re serious about turning things around, the first ten minutes tonight might matter more than anything else.
Item Two: Matthews Hits Another Milestone, but He’s Not in a Celebratory Mood
Speaking of Matthews, he hit another impressive marker this week. He put up assist number 350, moving him past Tim Horton on the all-time list. That’s no small feat. Normally, we’d make more noise about it, but everything around the team feels so tight right now, and Matthews’ own reaction told the story. He didn’t dwell on the accomplishment. He went right back to talking about the team’s desperation level.
That’s leadership, plain and simple. Matthews isn’t padding numbers or looking for applause. He’s trying to drag this group back into the fight, and he knows they’re running out of runway. If the Maple Leafs find their footing again, you can bet he and John Tavares will be the ones pulling them there. But if things keep slipping, this stretch will stand out.
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It’s a tough spot. I keep reading other analysts and writers who are dissing his production, and from a goal-scoring standpoint, he isn’t putting up huge numbers. Still, from what I’m seeing, he’s doing his part. But the team is one of those times when the whole team has to step up. It isn’t.
Item Three: The Florida Trip Has Pushed Toronto Toward Selling
It’s amazing how quickly optimism can disappear. A week ago, you could still talk yourself into optimistically seeing the Maple Leafs patching a few holes and making a run. That two-game swing through Florida completely changed the temperature. After the losses to the Lightning and the Panthers, the talk around the team shifted to “Who’s getting moved?”
According to some reporters, the Maple Leafs are planning to move all pending restricted and unrestricted free agents before the deadline. That might seem a bit drastic, but it explains why a bunch of familiar names suddenly popped up in the rumour mill. Joseph Woll, Bobby McMann, Scott Laughton, and Nicholas Robertson were specifically mentioned. Each of those players has value, but they’re also the kind of pieces a retooling club moves for picks or prospects.
Woll is the surprise — young, talented, but inconsistent and banged-up. McMann is the perfect depth piece for a contender. Laughton is steady and reliable. Robertson has been waiting to fully arrive, but maybe it happens somewhere else. Don’t forget Troy Stecher, who could generate interest simply because right-shot defenders always do. Even Brandon Carlo’s name has floated around, although he won’t be moved just to get him out the door.
If even half of this comes true, this won’t be a little tweak. It’ll be the beginning of a significant reset. The team will shift toward stockpiling picks and giving the organization some breathing room. It’s not the direction fans are used to with this group of players, but after that Florida trip, it’s hard to argue that the writing isn’t on the wall.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
The solution is the same as it’s been for weeks: show up for sixty minutes, not thirty. The Maple Leafs can’t keep spotting teams early goals and expecting to claw back. Pretty much anyone who’s watched this group can see it. They’re working hard, but only when it seems to be too late.
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Tonight is a chance to reset the temperature. Not fix everything, not magically steady the season, but at least put down a game they can build on. Ottawa likes to start fast, forecheck aggressively, and try to push Toronto around early. It’s on the Maple Leafs to meet that pressure instead of reacting to it.
If they really want back into the playoff picture — at least emotionally — these are the nights where they have to plant a flag. There’s no better time to start than in a rivalry game on home ice.
