Maple Leafs vs. Senators Game 5 — What you need to know The Toronto Maple Leafs, up 3-1 in the series, look to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs tonight with a win over the Ottawa Senators.
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN (U.S.) | Sportsnet/CBC (Canada)
CLICK HEAR TO LIVE WATCH
CLICK HEAR TO LIVE WATCH
Apr 29, 2025
Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
The Maple Leafs are still in control
The Maple Leafs are still in control
Getty Images
“The past is the past,” Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said on the eve of the postseason. “This is a different group.”
And now they get to prove it.
The Maple Leafs came up just short with their first chance at eliminating the Ottawa Senators in Game 4 on Saturday, losing in overtime.
It was another close game — the third straight that went to overtime — and a game that was lost chiefly on special teams. It was also the kind of game the Leafs have lost repeatedly over the years.
“I don’t think that was the case tonight,” head coach Craig Berube said when asked whether there was another example of the team’s flawed history in elimination games. “I thought our team played extremely hard, did a lot of great things. We gave up four shots in two periods. I thought we defended hard, played hard. The bounces go one way or another. I’m not too concerned about it. I thought our team was ready to go.”
Elimination games have been a problem — a big problem — in the era of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly and John Tavares.
Their Leafs have won just a single elimination game in 12 tries dating back to 2019. It explains a lot about the postseason failures, maybe everything. This team hasn’t been able to win the big game nearly often enough.
Read more below.
The Maple Leafs are still in control. They can’t let old demons resurface
GO FURTHER
The Maple Leafs are still in control. They can’t let old demons resurface
The ripple effect of Tavares exiting Game 4
The ripple effect of Tavares exiting Game 4
Getty Images
John Tavares says the concussion spotter pulled him out of overtime in Game 4 after Artem Zub delivered a hard hit on him. He cleared the tests to return.
But Tavares missed the critical four-minute Toronto power play, which the team couldn't capitalize on. Jake Sanderson then scored the OT winner to force Game 5.
Read below the ripple effect of Tavares' brief exit from the game.
Artem Zub’s hit on John Tavares and the ripple effect for the Maple Leafs in Game 4
GO FURTHER
Artem Zub’s hit on John Tavares and the ripple effect for the Maple Leafs in Game 4
Auston Matthews has rest day before Game 5
Auston Matthews has rest day before Game 5
Getty Images
The day before Game 5, Auston Matthews did not practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was a rest day according to the team.
Matthews has one goal and four assists in four playoff games. Read more below from The Athletic Leafs writer Joshua Kloke.
Leafs’ top-line dominance
Leafs’ top-line dominance
Getty Images
While it wasn’t always evident on the score sheet as it was in, say, Game 1, the Leafs’ top line of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies was by far their most dominant.
They crushed the competition in five-on-five expected goals and looked defensively resolute as well. Knies’ overpowering breakaway goal — with an assist from Marner, his seventh point in four games — seemed to spark his team.
Craig Berube has praised his team’s buy-in to his physical, checking style more than usual lately. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who he’s referring to in particular: all three players on the Leafs’ top line played a strong 200-foot game in Game 4. They pulled their team back into the fight after an ugly first period.
William Nylander also deserves a shout here for his constantly creative play in Game 4. His excellent pass to Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the game-tying goal was a season highlight for him.
Yes, a little more offence would have helped the Leafs’ cause. But there’s certainly reason to feel good about the Leafs’ top line heading into Game 5.
The Sens’ hot start in Game 4
The Sens’ hot start in Game 4
Getty Images
The Senators played their best first period of the series on Saturday night.
Yes, they benefited from Max Domi’s unforced error. But a power-play goal was sorely needed. They entered the game with a 22.2 percent rate, 11th-best among playoff teams.
Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto, two important cogs in the Sens’ young core, scored their first playoff goals in a crucial first frame of Game 4. Both were being leaned upon for their defence in the series and each player had one assist entering Game 4. Pinto has remained on the Sens’ shutdown line alongside Ridly Greig and Michael Amadio. Meanwhile, Stützle was moved to a line with Batherson and housemate Fabian Zetterlund, as was the case at the end of Game 3.
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN (U.S.) | Sportsnet/CBC (Canada)
CLICK HEAR TO LIVE WATCH
CLICK HEAR TO LIVE WATCH
Apr 29, 2025
Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
The Maple Leafs are still in control
The Maple Leafs are still in control
Getty Images
“The past is the past,” Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said on the eve of the postseason. “This is a different group.”
And now they get to prove it.
The Maple Leafs came up just short with their first chance at eliminating the Ottawa Senators in Game 4 on Saturday, losing in overtime.
It was another close game — the third straight that went to overtime — and a game that was lost chiefly on special teams. It was also the kind of game the Leafs have lost repeatedly over the years.
“I don’t think that was the case tonight,” head coach Craig Berube said when asked whether there was another example of the team’s flawed history in elimination games. “I thought our team played extremely hard, did a lot of great things. We gave up four shots in two periods. I thought we defended hard, played hard. The bounces go one way or another. I’m not too concerned about it. I thought our team was ready to go.”
Elimination games have been a problem — a big problem — in the era of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly and John Tavares.
Their Leafs have won just a single elimination game in 12 tries dating back to 2019. It explains a lot about the postseason failures, maybe everything. This team hasn’t been able to win the big game nearly often enough.
Read more below.
The Maple Leafs are still in control. They can’t let old demons resurface
GO FURTHER
The Maple Leafs are still in control. They can’t let old demons resurface
The ripple effect of Tavares exiting Game 4
The ripple effect of Tavares exiting Game 4
Getty Images
John Tavares says the concussion spotter pulled him out of overtime in Game 4 after Artem Zub delivered a hard hit on him. He cleared the tests to return.
But Tavares missed the critical four-minute Toronto power play, which the team couldn't capitalize on. Jake Sanderson then scored the OT winner to force Game 5.
Read below the ripple effect of Tavares' brief exit from the game.
Artem Zub’s hit on John Tavares and the ripple effect for the Maple Leafs in Game 4
GO FURTHER
Artem Zub’s hit on John Tavares and the ripple effect for the Maple Leafs in Game 4
Auston Matthews has rest day before Game 5
Auston Matthews has rest day before Game 5
Getty Images
The day before Game 5, Auston Matthews did not practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was a rest day according to the team.
Matthews has one goal and four assists in four playoff games. Read more below from The Athletic Leafs writer Joshua Kloke.
Leafs’ top-line dominance
Leafs’ top-line dominance
Getty Images
While it wasn’t always evident on the score sheet as it was in, say, Game 1, the Leafs’ top line of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies was by far their most dominant.
They crushed the competition in five-on-five expected goals and looked defensively resolute as well. Knies’ overpowering breakaway goal — with an assist from Marner, his seventh point in four games — seemed to spark his team.
Craig Berube has praised his team’s buy-in to his physical, checking style more than usual lately. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who he’s referring to in particular: all three players on the Leafs’ top line played a strong 200-foot game in Game 4. They pulled their team back into the fight after an ugly first period.
William Nylander also deserves a shout here for his constantly creative play in Game 4. His excellent pass to Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the game-tying goal was a season highlight for him.
Yes, a little more offence would have helped the Leafs’ cause. But there’s certainly reason to feel good about the Leafs’ top line heading into Game 5.
The Sens’ hot start in Game 4
The Sens’ hot start in Game 4
Getty Images
The Senators played their best first period of the series on Saturday night.
Yes, they benefited from Max Domi’s unforced error. But a power-play goal was sorely needed. They entered the game with a 22.2 percent rate, 11th-best among playoff teams.
Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto, two important cogs in the Sens’ young core, scored their first playoff goals in a crucial first frame of Game 4. Both were being leaned upon for their defence in the series and each player had one assist entering Game 4. Pinto has remained on the Sens’ shutdown line alongside Ridly Greig and Michael Amadio. Meanwhile, Stützle was moved to a line with Batherson and housemate Fabian Zetterlund, as was the case at the end of Game 3.
