Apr 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) scores a goal and celebrates with right wing Mitch Marner (16) against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs made an incredible impression in their Game 1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The Atlantic Division champions entered the postseason with the loftiest expectations. The organization has Stanley Cup goals, and anything less will be considered a failure.
The pressure is greatest on the Maple Leafs’ core four: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares. The superstar forwards are the leaders in Toronto, and the team’s playoff shortcomings have fallen on their shoulders. They each are looking to exorcise those playoff demons in 2025, and in Game 1, they showed up in a dominating fashion. Their play led the way to a 6-2 Maple Leafs’ victory.
The Senators made the critical mistake of giving the Leafs multiple power play opportunities. The extra ice time for Toronto’s superstars was a grave error for Ottawa, and the Maple Leafs made them pay.
As a result, the Leafs’ top forwards were incredibly productive. Matthews notched two assists, Marner netted a goal and added two assists, and Nylander and Tavares each recorded a goal and an assist. In total, the four stars recorded nine total points.
Meanwhile, the Senators’ stars were far less effective. Captain Brady Tkachuk and top winger Tim Stutzle were both held scoreless. Starting goalie Linus Ullmark struggled the entire contest, surrendering six goals on 24 shots on goal. They will have to regroup and improve for Game 2.
The performance was a great start to the series and an immediate answer to the swirling questions. The Maple Leafs’ core has been under scrutiny for the past decade as they have come up short in the postseason. With this postseason possibly being the final one that the Core Four are together in Toronto, they’ve gotten off to an ideal start.
