For the record, the Ottawa Senators’ rebuild lasted 2,878 days—that’s 412 weeks, or 7 years, 10 months, and 5 days. Along the way, some moments may have signalled the end, but calling the rebuild officially over always felt subjective.
On Sunday night in Toronto, as the Senators hit the ice to end the NHL’s third-longest active playoff drought, there’s no room for debate: the rebuild is finally, truly over. This is a better team. Better coaching. Better management. Better ownership.
Better everything.
Now the question becomes: Are they better than the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Based on the regular season standings, no. Toronto finished with 52 wins to Ottawa’s 45 and ended up 11 points ahead in the standings. Eleven. Numerologists among the Ottawa fanbase will have a field day with that one.
Assistant coach Daniel Alfredsson and head coach Travis Green are the only remaining bridges to the playoff wars of Ontario from a quarter-century ago. If history matters—and it probably doesn’t—it’s this: the Senators won all three games against Toronto in the regular season.
Sure, it doesn’t count for anything now. But it gives the Sens a little boost of confidence heading into a series where this young core has no reason to believe they can’t beat Toronto.
Since the start of March, following the Four Nations Face-Off, these two teams have been among the NHL’s hottest. And both are expected to be fully healthy for Game 1. Beyond the natural geographical rivalry, history adds some heat. Leafs fans are desperate to see a team that’s won one playoff series in 20 years take another step—and maybe, finally, end a 58-year Stanley Cup drought.
Senators fans, on the other hand, would love nothing more than to get revenge for the franchise’s 0-for-4 playoff record against Toronto and shut up the blue-and-white invasion that floods their building every time the Leafs come to town.
Game 1 Lineup Watch
At Ottawa’s game-day skate, the biggest surprise was seeing Matthew Highmore slotting in on the fourth line at left wing, with agitator Nick Cousins skating as the extra. Unless Cousins has had an injury setback, seeing him in the press box for Game 1 would definitely raise eyebrows.
Projected Senators Lineup:
Interestingly, while Ottawa might leave a Florida Panthers Cup winner out of the lineup, Toronto will lean heavily on two of them.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson returns for Game 1 after missing the final three games of the season with an upper-body injury. And 6’6″, 240-pound Anthony Stolarz will make his first NHL playoff start at 31 years old.
And he could be a serious problem for Ottawa.
Stolarz went 21-8-3 this season with a 2.14 GAA and a .926 save percentage. Even scarier? He ended the season on an 8-0-0 tear, posting a 1.37 GAA, a .950 save percentage, and three shutouts.
But again, regular-season numbers just don’t matter anymore.
Projected Maple Leafs Lineup:
Forwards:
Knies – Matthews – Marner
Domi – Tavares – Nylander
McMann – Holmberg – Robertson
Lorentz – Laughton – Järnkrok
Defense:
Rielly – Carlo
McCabe – Tanev
Ekman-Larsson – Benoit
Goalies:
Stolarz
Woll
Series Schedule:
Game 1: Sunday, April 20 – 7:00 PM ET
Game 2: Tuesday, April 22 – 7:30 PM ET
Game 3: Thursday, April 24 – 7:00 PM ET
Game 4: Saturday, April 26 – 7:00 PM ET
If necessary:
Game 5: Tuesday, April 29 – Time TBD
Game 6: Thursday, May 1 – Time TBD
Game 7: Saturday, May 3 – Time TBD
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