‘Fun stuff starts now’: Leafs turn attention to Senators in playoff Battle of Ontario

Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews (34) celebrates his goal against the Detroit Red Wings during the first period of their NHL hockey game Thursday, April 17, 2025 in Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

TORONTO — Craig Berube wanted to finish Thursday night healthy.

That mission accomplished, the Maple Leafs and their head coach can now solely focus on what the group has been working toward all season — the Stanley Cup playoffs.

A mouth-watering first-round matchup awaits.

Toronto came back from a 3-1 deficit in Thursday’s third period before beating the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 to put a bow on a meaningless regular-season finale for both teams.

“Hard for the players,” Berube said. “It’s just one of those (games) you hope you come out of it and you’re all good.”

That’s what happened as Toronto avoided injury on a night that looked a lot like a pre-season contest against an opponent that will watch the NHL’s annual spring tournament from the couch.

“A little bit of a weird game,” said Leafs forward Scott Laughton, who scored the winner. “It’s different out there. You probably won’t see me out there second shift of overtime, so that kind of explains it.”

Toronto, which topped the Atlantic Division with 108 points, opens the post-season Sunday night against the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 of a best-of-seven series that represents the first playoff Battle of Ontario in more than two decades.

“Now it’s time for us to get down to business,” Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev said after tying Thursday’s affair with 1.8 seconds left in regulation. “We know how good of a team they are, we know how hard they play, we know how well-coached they are.

“They’re a very structured team that does all the right things, does the little things to win games, and that’s why they’ve had a successful year.”

The Leafs beat the Senators four times in the playoffs between 2000 and 2004, including two Game 7 victories on home ice. The rivalry has been largely dormant since with the teams trading rebuilds, but Ottawa has finally emerged from the doldrums to set the stage for another provincial clash.

“Proud of the way we battled back and found our game there in the third period,” said Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who opened the scoring with his 33rd goal of 2024-25. “You want to be ending off the regular season on a good note. A lot of good things heading into the post-season.

“Just got to get prepared and ready for what’s next.”

Toronto has won five straight games heading into the playoffs, and were victorious in 13 of the team’s final 16 games to claim the division crown.

“We really played well as a team this last little stretch,” Berube said. “Doing the right things without the puck. Everybody dialed in and bought into what we want to do.”

The Leafs, whose Cup drought stretches back to 1967, will be looking to win a series for just the second time in the NHL’s salary-cap era when they hit the playoff ice.

“Fun stuff starts now,” Tanev said.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT

Toronto depth defenceman Philippe Myers scored a beautiful goal in the third to pull his team’s deficit to one when he stepped around two Red Wings and slid his second of the campaign past Cam Talbot.

“I’ll take it,” he said. “I don’t even know what happened there.”

“He kept saying once a year he pulls something like that out,” Matthews added with a smile. “Waited until Game 82, but it was really nice.”

Berube mused it might be the team’s offensive play of the year.

“I wasn’t sure who it was for a while,” he said. “Hell of a goal.”

GETTING COMFORTABLE

Laughton was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers ahead of the NHL trade deadline, but took a while to get adjusted to his new surroundings.

The Toronto native’s goal was his second in 20 games with the Leafs. Berube, however, had already seen plenty of growth over the last few weeks.

“Really come around for us,” he said. “I was happy for him to get that goal in OT. You feel good about yourself, but it’s not the goal so much. It’s just how he’s playing.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2025.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press