Leafs move in for kill eyeing series sweep against Ottawa Senators

The Toronto Maple Leafs will take on the Ottawa Senators in Game 4 of their opening-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, with the Leafs eyeing a series sweep.

The last time the Leafs had a 3-0 series lead was precisely against the Senators, back in 2001. In that postseason, the Leafs swept the Sens before falling to the New Jersey Devils in the second round in a bitter seven-game series.

Nearly a quarter of a century later, the Leafs and Senators are in the same situation. The Leafs are looking to move in for the kill with the Senators hoping to live to fight another day.

In the Auston Matthews era, the Leafs have failed to close out series-clinching games, with just one win coming in the first round of the 2023 playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Otherwise, the Leafs have been unable to win potential series-clinching games.

Of course, we hope that the Leafs don’t give us a repeat of 2021 in which they blew a 3-1 series lead against the Montreal Canadiens.

This time around, the Leafs will be looking to unleash their killer instinct. They’ve got the Senators on the ropes thanks to back-to-back 3-2 overtime wins. The game-winning goals have come from depth players, with Max Domi being the hero in Game 3 and Simon Benoit stepping up in Game 4.

The Core Four will also look to continue dominating as Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares have all stepped up to the plate this postseason. Additionally, Morgan Rielly looks increasingly confident thanks to his defense partner Brandon Carlo’s reassuring presence.

But the biggest factor of all has been Anthony Stolarz. He’s been sensational in the postseason so far. There is no reason for Stolarz to come out of the lineup in Game 4. If anything, the Leafs hope to close out the series early and get so much-needed rest as the Panthers-Lightning series unfolds.

Looking at the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup for Game 4 against Ottawa Senators

As for the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup for Game 4, it’s a case of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

The Leafs will likely dress the same lineup as they did in Game 3. The biggest change in Game 3 was scratching Nick Robertson for Max Pacioretty. Pacioretty didn’t have a particularly awe-inspiring game as he hit the ice for 12:24 over 20 shifts, getting one shot on goal.

I suspect Craig Berube will want to give the veteran winger one more game this postseason. If he looks good on the ice, Pacioretty may get another look in the second round. But it looks like Robertson should get back into the lineup at some point moving forward.

Another move to keep an eye on is Pontus Holmberg on the second line. Berube may want to switch things up and place Bobby McMann with Tavares and Nylander on the second unit. Holmberg hasn’t looked out of place, but the Tavares-Nylander-McMann unit has meshed well in the past.

However, I would say to keep an eye on the fourth line. They’ve been flying under the radar and could play a significant factor in Game 4 as the Sens try to do everything they can to stop the Maple Leafs' top offensive players.