Maple Leafs progress to the second round following a 4-2 victory over the Senators.
Whipping the Senators and Advancing to the Next Round
The Maple Leafs, after a delay they could've done without, clinched their spot in the second round of the playoffs on Thursday night. Here's a breakdown of the game.
Max Pacioretty sealed the deal with a goal in the third period, and the Maple Leafs won the Battle of Ontario in six games against the Ottawa Senators, finishing the series with a 4-2 triumph.
William Nylander, celebrating his 29th birthday, notched two goals and an assist, while Auston Matthews also scored for the Maple Leafs, who led the series 3-0 before the Senators won back-to-back games.
Under the burden of past playoff disappointments, the team displayed an altered mindset this season, proving it yet again in their Game 6 victory. "No matter what the chatter outside was, it didn't touch us," said Matthews, the Maple Leafs' captain. "It's all about the fellas in this locker room and the trust we have in each other."
Anthony Stolarz made 21 saves for the Maple Leafs, whose record now stands at 2-13 in games where they have the chance to win a series since 2018. "We fight for one another," said Stolarz. "Everyone recognizes their role, and everyone does their job. We've got confidence."
The Maple Leafs, who have only won one second round since the 2004-2005 lockout, will now face the Florida Panthers in the second round.
Brady Tkachuk and David Perron scored for the Senators, who made their playoff return for the first time since 2017 after an agonizing rebuild. Linus Ullmark stopped 19 shots, and Thomas Chabot racked up two assists. "I truly believed we would come back and win the game," said Tkachuk. "It's a tough pill to swallow."
The Maple Leafs took a commanding 3-0 lead in the series with a one-sided victory and two consecutive overtime wins, but the Senators closed the gap with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 4, followed by a 4-0 victory.
"We came to Ottawa with a distinct mindset," said Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, hired last spring to help the team break their playoff series losing streak. "It wasn't a one-off game, but we aimed to finish it here."
Pacioretty, who was sidelined at the series' start, netted the series-winning goal by taking a pass from Max Domi. It was his first goal of the playoffs. Nylander then scored into an empty net with just 18.3 seconds remaining.
Matthews opened the scoring with 70 seconds left in the first period, firing a shot along the ice that Ullmark didn't spot due to the chaos in front of him.
Nylander extended the visitors' lead 43 seconds into the second period with a wrist shot that sliced above Ullmark's right pad. Pacioretty registered his first playoff point on the play.
Trying to make amends for his penalty, Tkachuk cut the deficit to 2-1 at 7:28 by deflecting a shot from Chabot.
Perron tied it up at 12:40 of the third period with a backhanded shot that struck Stolarz's back and found the net.
[Enrichment Data]- The 2022 NHL playoffs, in which the Maple Leafs faced the Tampa Bay Lightning, resulted in elimination for the Maple Leafs, so they did not advance to the second round that year.- In the current 2025 NHL playoffs, the Maple Leafs will face the Florida Panthers in the second round following their successful first-round series against the Ottawa Senators.
- Max Pacioretty, after returning from injury, scored the series-winning goal for the Maple Leafs against the Ottawa Senators in the hockey playoffs.
- The Maple Leafs, who have only progressed to the second round once since the 2004-2005 lockout, will now face the Florida Panthers in the next round of the NHL playoffs.
- David Perron scored a goal for the Senators, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Maple Leafs from clinching their spot in the second round.
- William Nylander notched two goals and an assist for the Maple Leafs during the playoff series against the Ottawa Senators.
