The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, which reignited the Battle of Ontario.
The Maple Leafs eliminated the Senators in Game 6 after taking a 3-0 series lead. After the playoff series, Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk had nothing but praise for Toronto and the roster they have built, as he said it’s the ‘deepest team’ he’s played.
“They have such a great team,” Tkachuk said to TheLeafsNation. “We knew going into it that’s probably the deepest team that they’ve had in the last couple years. We knew it was going to be a dog fight from the opening puck drop all the way to the final whistle. Of course, there’s a lot of time this summer where you could say should’ve, could’ve, would’ve — I mean Games 2, 3, and 4 all in overtime. Just a one-shot difference.”
As Tkachuk notes, three of the games were in overtime, so the series could have been much different.
But, despite the Maple Leafs and Senators being hated rivals, it appears there is mutual respect between them after their playoff battle.
As for Tkachuk, he’s entering the fifth year of his seven-year, $57.56 million deal with the Senators. He’s been Ottawa’s captain since October 2021.
Tkachuk Glad to Revive Senators-Maple Leafs Rivalry
Ottawa and Toronto have been rivals for decades, but the Battle of Ontario has taken a back seat.
The Senators and Maple Leafs both haven’t been good in years, but this past season, that changed. The two teams met in the playoffs, and Tkachuk says it was good to revive the Battle of Ontario.
“There was a lot of talk going into it, and I think it was great for both cities to relive those memories,” Tkachuk said. “ I think we’re living in a different age and era of hockey where there wasn’t gonna be fights. That’s not how their team was built, that’s not really how our team is built. It’s gonna be a really hard, competitive, battles every single shift, but there’s not gonna be no line brawls and going toe to toe.”
Tkachuk, meanwhile, believes the playoff experience against the Maple Leafs will benefit him and the Senators going into this season.
“ I think it was just pretty cool to see the first two games, the first two playoff experiences. Their building was super loud and the chants, the chirps, it was a pretty cool experience,” he said. “ Then getting back to our building and being a part of the loudest building that I’ve ever been in, it was so cool. It’s just spoke to the years of adversity that we faced and for everybody to get through that, not just our team but our city, I think it was pretty special to be a part of.”
Tkachuk recorded 4 goals and 3 assists for 7 points in 6 playoff games.
Tkachuk Praises Auston Matthews
Not only did Tkachuk have praise for the Maple Leafs, but he also praised Toronto captain Auston Matthews.
Tkachuk and Matthews are friends, but after playing against him and with him at the 4 Nations, his admiration grew.
“I was just super impressed with just how dialed in he was, and how even keel he was,” Tkachuk said. “It almost felt like nothing bothers him. He was just going to go out there and lead by example with his work ethic. And I think a lot of the things he does goes under-the-radar.”
Tkachuk says he was able to learn a lot from Matthews and looks forward to playing against him.
Rival Captain Surprisingly Shares 2-Word Praise of Maple Leafs After Playoff Battle