Marner and Maple Leafs Make a Statement in Game 1 Rout Over Senators

The Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a great start in the 2025 playoffs. In Game 1 between the Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, Toronto dominated, earning a 6–2 win in the Battle of Ontario. After losing all four regular-season meetings to Ottawa, the Leafs came out with a purpose and something to prove. Their stars were stars, their depth did their job, and returning players played a role. The Maple Leafs now have a 1–0 series lead, and Ottawa was delivered a bit of a wake-up call.

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Toronto got on the board early as Scott Laughton set up Oliver Ekman-Larsson for the game’s opening goal. Ekman-Larsson was returning and was a near game-time decision to be included in the lineup. Mitch Marner followed with a dazzling breakaway tally off a pinpoint Auston Matthews pass to make it 2–0. Though Ottawa briefly cut the lead to one, the Leafs took over from there. John Tavares and William Nylander scored in the second period to push the game out of reach, while Morgan Rielly and Matthew Knies added third-period markers.

Marner was electric, recording a goal and two assists in arguably the most composed playoff performance of his career. As Luke Fox pointed out: “Mitch Marner, 2024 playoffs: 3 points in 7 games Mitch Marner, 2025 playoffs: 3 points in Game 1.” Marner said after the game, “Playoffs in here is always a lot of fun, and you can feel the energy, you can feel the energy when you’re driving into the city.”

Matthews picked up two primary assists and dominated all 200 feet of the ice surface. The Leafs’ power play clicked at 50% (3-for-6), a massive turnaround from last year’s playoff struggles.

Maple Leafs Won the Goaltending Battle in Game 1

Goaltending proved to be a major difference. Anthony Stolarz was stellar in his playoff debut, stopping 31 of 33 shots for a .939 save percentage. Meanwhile, Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark faltered, allowing six goals in his 11th career playoff appearance. He has now allowed four or more goals in six of those games—an alarming stat for a Senators team that hoped he would be the answer in the net.

Physicality boiled over late, with Max Domi and Chris Tanev involved in scrums, setting the stage for what’s sure to be a heated series. But for now, the Leafs look locked in, and Game 1 couldn’t have gone much better.

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