The Toronto Maple Leafs advanced to the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs following a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators in Game 6 on Thursday, May 1. The Maple Leafs improved to 5-0 in the Battle of Ontario during postseason play.
The Maple Leafs will have home-ice advantage against the defending champion Florida Panthers in Round 2, but first, we’ll look back at what helped Toronto win a playoff series for the second time since 2004.
Displayed Resiliency and Composure
It was a tight series on the scoreboard, with the Maple Leafs outscoring the Senators by a 19-16 margin. Toronto didn’t mount any spectacular comebacks in Round 1 but still showcased calmness when the momentum of a contest or the series shifted. Despite giving up leads, the Maple Leafs earned overtime wins in Games 2 (April 22) and 3 (April 24).
The Maple Leafs also rebounded from a lacklustre performance in Game 5 (April 29) by building a 2-0 lead in Game 6 (May 1) and had to bounce back again after relinquishing that lead. While allowing the opposition back into games and losing two straight matches made for some nail-biting moments, swings in momentum will happen, and the Maple Leafs did a great job remaining composed throughout Round 1.
Bend but Don’t Break Style Carried Over From Regular Season
Despite losing leads, the Maple Leafs improved to 38-1-1 when leading after two periods this campaign. Toronto and Ottawa tied for second in the NHL with 22 one-goal wins in the regular season. The Maple Leafs look comfortable in those situations, and playing with a lead was valuable. The team that scored first won five of six games in the series.
Toronto’s defence performed well in the first round. Ottawa had a larger share of the scoring chances (55.97%) and high-danger chances (55.43%), but the Maple Leafs kept their opponent to two goals or fewer in four games. The Senators struggled offensively at 5v5 during the regular season (31st overall), scoring only nine more goals than the Nashville Predators. Still, Ottawa finished eighth in the league in shots per game (29.3). The Leafs limited that to 25.2 in the playoffs and blocked 128 shots.
Five Forward Power Play Is the Secret Sauce
The two shorthanded goals the Leafs surrendered to Ottawa were troublesome, notably a backbreaking tally in Game 5. However, the combination of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies opened the scoring in Game 6 late in the first period. Matthews’ second marker of the series ended a drought of 30 power-play chances without a goal for the Maple Leafs in potential closeout games.
Toronto’s lack of power-play success has been well-documented during the team’s early exits in the postseason. However, the club was outstanding with the man advantage in Round 1 of the 2025 Playoffs. The Maple Leafs scored six times on 17 opportunities versus the Senators after finding the back of the net once on 21 chances against the Boston Bruins across seven playoff contests in 2024.
Well-Rounded Effort Throughout the Lineup
Except for a shaky showing in Game 5, the star players of the Maple Leafs made stable offensive contributions throughout the opening round. Of the Core Four group, only Tavares was held off the scoresheet in two straight games, though he may have been playing banged up after taking an unpenalized nasty elbow to the head in Game 4 from Artem Zub.
Nylander topped the team with nine points (three goals, six assists). He celebrated his 29th birthday in style, notching two tallies and one assist in Game 6. A bizarre lineup error almost prevented it, but it was corrected before the game started. Nylander’s ability to carry the puck out of danger and lead rushes out of the defensive zone sealed the team’s victory with an empty-netter, and Scott Laughton deserves credit for the shot block that started the play.
The Maple Leafs got big game-winning goals from Max Domi and Max Pacioretty in the series, but offensive contributions from the bottom six were few and far between. The left-wing spot alongside Nylander and Tavares was a revolving door with Bobby McMann, Calle Jarnkrok, Pontus Holmberg, Pacioretty, and Domi getting looks. The Maple Leafs appear content to switch it up on the fly, depending on the game situation, but stability in that spot would be better. McMann’s lack of scoring was disappointing, but he didn’t get much ice time, which could change in Round 2.
The Laughton-Jarnkrok-Steven Lorentz trio was responsible defensively and cycled the puck efficiently in the attacking zone to create scoring chances. They failed to light the lamp in the series but had three helpers between them and earned plenty of praise from head coach Craig Berube.
Goals from the defence corps were hard to come by during the regular season, but Toronto blueliners struck five times in Round 1. Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson netted two apiece, and Simon Benoit was the surprise hero of Game 3.
Despite receiving contributions up and down the lineup, the Maple Leafs would benefit tremendously from more scoring in the bottom six, notably from the third line, which has been in a state of flux for a while. Still, the team will be in good shape if the top six can lead the way.
Anthony Stolarz was solid in the opening round, posting a 4-2 record with a 2.21 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. He surrendered only two goals in five of six starts. The 31-year-old’s vocalness in the crease and fiery competitiveness more than make up for his lack of playoff experience.
Exorcised Some Demons, but Still Have a Long Way to Go
The uneasiness in the fanbase after Game 5 was overblown, but at the same time, it was understandable. The performance lacked urgency and felt familiar for all the wrong reasons. The series was more stressful and close than it had to be, but this team has a habit of doing things the hard way, and portions of the media enjoy creating drama from the chaos. However, the players and the coaches remained calm, stuck with it, and advanced before it got out of hand.
The Maple Leafs still have work to do to earn back trust after a lengthy list of heartbreaking playoff runs, but it likely was a confidence boost to silence their doubters and halt Ottawa’s comeback attempt.
Much Tamer Battle of Ontario
It was generally a low-event series on the ice. There was some animosity, but it wasn’t close to the level it reached in previous playoff meetings between the two clubs. The Senators outhit the Maple Leafs by a wide margin, 269 to 204, but it wasn’t much of a factor. Toronto remained composed, and the team’s advantage in experience was noticeable in the first three games of the series. The intensity will likely ratchet up in a challenging matchup versus the Florida Panthers, and we’ll see if the lessons learned and the Maple Leafs’ resiliency and patient style result in a trip to the Eastern Conference Final.
Analytics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.
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