Battle of Ontario: A preview of Toronto's first preseason game vs. Ottawa Senators

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Chris Gerics
September 21, 2024 (3:20 PM)

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The 2024-2025 season gets underway on Sunday when the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators clash in the Battle of Ontario with their first preseason game.

It's a classic matchup between two heated rivals with historic implications;both with something to prove. Toronto is trying to prove to everyone they aren't just a one trick pony and finally make a run for the Stanley Cup, and the pieces they added may have been enough.

On the flip side, Ottawa is a young and hungry team who is trying to prove to the league they aren't just some plucky youngsters; they have talent, heart and the ability to surprise people.

But as the offseason winds down, and the 2024-2025 season kicks off, many questions surround who is going to play, what the new pieces will bring to the table and how can both teams find success albeit in different avenues. Toronto is expected to line up as follows (breakdown below):

The first line is obviously Matthews/Knies/Marner with the second line holding steady with Tavares/McMann/Robertson. The third line is the most exciting one as it has William Nylander centering Max Domi and Calle Jarnkrok, and presumably rounding out the fourth line is some combination of Max Pacioretty, Pontus Holmberg, and possibly Easton Cowan if they want to get a good look at one of their top prospects. Rounding out the defense will be Morgan Rielly and Chris Tanev on the first pairing, followed by Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe and either Benoit/Liljegren, but could throw Conor Timmins in there too. It's likely Toronto would want to start Joseph Woll but they could throw Anthony Stolarz in there to start in order to get some reps, and also show what he can do this season.

Ottawa on the other hand may be more keen to put out more youngsters against the Maple Leafs to gauge their readiness, however you will still see some top names skating for the Sens including Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, Drake Batherson, and could also see new additions David Perron, Nick Cousins and Linus Ullmark make their debuts for the squad. Former Maple Leafs fan favorite Nikolay Kulemin; who signed a PTO with Ottawa could also see the ice, the first time in six years since his return to the KHL.

Head coach Travis Green also has some historical implications in this matchup, as Green played for the Maple Leafs for two seasons but endeared himself to the Toronto faithful for his passion, hard work, defensive game and willingness to get down and dirty when needed. He brings his hard-nosed style of play to an Ottawa club who has had the Maple Leafs' number during the regular season as they look to write a new chapter in their rivalry. Toronto holds the combined all-time record with an 84-68-3-13 but Ottawa has currently won the last two and had an incredible seven game stretch where they did not lose to Toronto.

This is one of my favourite rivalries in all of sports. This feels like a Yankees/Mets or Celtics/Lakers for me; I grew up in the mid-to-late nineties and the 2000s and the fiery games played by Ottawa and Toronto are ingrained into my memory. I remember Daniel Alfredsson and Mats Sundin duke it out for Swedish on-ice supremacy.

I see Zdeno Chara towering over Tie Domi while Domi doesn't back down and barking like an angry chihuahua. I remember Curtis Joseph vs. Patrick Lalime and Dominik Hasek. It brings me back to the warm glow of the TV watching Hockey Night in Canada. I'm more excited than ever to see how this new crop of players create their own memories, their own legacies, not only for themselves but for the fans. It's moments like that which bring us together.

The 2024-2025 NHL season is just around the corner, and the anticipation is starting to grow more and more. We're only a little bit away from when both teams step on the ice to reignite the rivalry that's been recognized since 1998 but has been around since 1891. The time for talking is over, and the time for Ontario to battle is now.