Toronto Maple Leafs: The Real, the Fake and the Upcoming Rivalries

TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 12: Radko Gudas #7 and Aleksander Barkov #16 of the Florida Panthers battle against John Tavares #91 and Ryan O'Reilly #90 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during Game Five of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 12, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

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Oct 15, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Nicolas Aube-Kubel (96) Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

Ottawa Senators (Up and Coming Rivalries)

If you weren’t around to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs playoffs from 2000 until 2004, you missed out on one of the greatest rivalries over the last half century.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators met each other in the playoffs four times over a five year span with the blue shirts taking each and every series.

These playoff series were highlighted by Mats Sundin’s overtime winner in Game 1 of the 2001 First Round to win 1-0, as well as Joe Nieuwendyk’s two goal performance in Game 7 of the 2004 to clinch the series.

Over the next 20 years the two teams rivalry fizzled out as the two teams have been on the opposite side of the standings as Ottawa has not made the playoffs over the last six seasons.

The Senators are finally on the right track and locked up the core of their roster for the foreseeable future.

With the Boston Bruins about to take a giant step backwards, along with the potential of the Tampa Bay Lightning falling along with them, their is room for the Ottawa Senators to take a charge for the playoffs.

If the Senators can finally be good again, the Battle of Ontario could be to take off once again.

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