The Ottawa Senators and their fanbase waited a long eight years for another taste of playoff hockey, and they finally got it. In the opening game of their first-round series on Sunday night, they suffered a 6-2 loss at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It was the first playoff game in the careers of players like Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Thomas Chabot. That was certainly not the case for the Maple Leafs, who possess a wealth of playoff experience (albeit a lot of it negative) to their names.
While the Senators did bring the intensity and effort required to win in the playoffs, they did not necessarily channel that in the most productive ways, and it showed at multiple points.
Too Many Penalties for the Senators
Part of the Senators’ game plan clearly was to drag the game in the mud, be physical, and try to provoke the Maple Leafs into taking retaliatory penalties. While that may have worked against a younger and more inexperienced team, the Maple Leafs appeared to have no interest in it, instead relying on playing hard between the whistles.
The Senators pushed it just a bit too far, giving the Maple Leafs six power plays. A significant turning point came early in the second period. It was a tight game when a cross-check from Ridly Greig on John Tavares put the Leafs on the power play.
It’s understandable for Greig to want to stand his ground and try to get under the skin of his opponent, but the play was reckless and potentially dangerous, with the cross-check catching Tavares in the neck. Shortly after, Adam Gaudette delivered a cross-check on Auston Matthews from behind, giving the Leafs a five-on-three, which they immediately capitalized on and never looked back.
While it can be viewed as the Senators getting a bit of a tough whistle, which is a case they could certainly make on some calls, they will have to remain more disciplined and not give the officials an opportunity to make those decisions.
Maple Leafs Display Playoff Experience
In contrast, while the Senators looked like a team trying to play what they thought playoff hockey was like, the Leafs played actual playoff hockey. They toed the line successfully, kept calm when things got chaotic and most importantly, capitalized when they needed to.
It showed both on the scoreboard and in the penalty minute totals which were 36 for Ottawa to only 16 for Toronto.
“Kudos us for staying disciplined,” Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz said. “Guys know how physical playoffs are and how you have to keep your composure. So, our guys deserve a lot of credit tonight for doing that.”
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Not only did this continue to put the Maple Leafs’ hot power play back to work, it took the Senators’ stars out of rhythm, with Tkachuk and Stutzle both playing fewer than 18 minutes, far from ideal for a playoff game.
The Senators could learn a lesson from their opponents, who were once in their shoes and let their lack of composure get the better of them. Many times in their playoff past did the Maple Leafs do something foolish in a retaliatory manner that resulted in a suspension or a power play against at a crucial juncture. It seems based on Game 1 that those days are behind them.
“It definitely helps,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of that experience. “(Knowing) what to expect and how to keep your team composed and calm and talk about the things that come up in games and series, shift to shift, all that stuff.”
What the Senators Can Learn Moving Forward
The Senators will need to curb that behavior quickly, or else the series could get out of reach in a hurry. Keeping the game at even strength will be a key area for them and was one of the few positive takeaways to be had from game one.
“We’ve got to play longer five-on-five and stay out of the box,” said Senators head coach Travis Green. “But again I thought offensively we did some good things and we had some really good looks.”
The Senators’ top line held a significant advantage in terms of shot attempts at five-on-five and came close to tying the game before penalties took it in the other direction.
They’re a much better team than what they showed on Sunday night, and the Leafs would be foolish not to expect some form of a pushback for Game 2. They need to take a breath, go back to the drawing board, and find better ways to exploit the Leafs’ shortcomings. If the Senators don’t clean up their act and continually shoot themselves in the foot, this series could be a lot shorter than anyone expected.
