Pesky Ottawa Senators poised to cause Maple Leafs even more grief Saturday

For the past seven years, they’ve been nicknamed “the pesky Senators” by the Maple Leafs and local media.

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Ottawa always gives a more talented Toronto team fits, no matter what off-ice foibles were plaguing it; under achieving contracts, trade rumours, arena wars, ownership upheaval and fan apathy.

Now, for the first time in eight seasons, the ‘p’ word is playoffs when a mid-March Leafs–Sens meeting approaches. Ottawa has been the hottest team in the Atlantic Division since the National Hockey League trade deadline, taking a streak of 5-0 into Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night.

That run has not only allowed the Sens to pull ahead of the crowded wild-card pack to the first of two spots, five up on the Columbus Blue Jackets, but a regulation win over Toronto closes the gap between the rivals to just four points.

It’s not the Battle of Ontario in name only anymore.

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“We’ve got good energy,” forward Ridly Greig told TSN during Thursday’s 6-3 win over Boston. “We’ve got momentum and we’ve got to keep that going.”

Ottawa, under new coach and ex-Leaf Travis Green, has a four-game win streak going versus the Blue and White, taking five of the past six matches. Only winger Bobby McMann has a goal against them in 3-0 and 2-1 losses so far this season.

Where Toronto’s two trade pick-ups, defenceman Brandon Carlo and centre Scott Laughton, are still getting acclimatized three games after their arrival, new Senator forward Dylan Cozens has fit like a glove.

Plucked from playoff purgatory in Buffalo on deadline day, he’s the seventh player in team history to start in Bytown with a four-game point streak, including prominent names such as Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley.

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And after health concerns, Linus Ullmark is shining in goal. He won just five of his first 10 starts this season, missed a month with a back injury, but is back in a form familiar to the Leafs from their battles with him in Boston.

Toronto and Ottawa each took Friday off, but it was sure to be a more unsettling break for the Leafs. With what could be considered their full playoff roster — the two new players and defenceman Chris Tanev back from injury — they lost 3-2 to the Florida Panthers at home on Thursday. It wasn’t just damaging to Toronto’s shot at catching the Cats for the division lead, they didn’t exploit the absence of Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad, while their own stars were quiet, especially on the power play.

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The Leafs have not had a losing record in March the past three seasons with Sheldon Keefe as coach, en route to three 100-point seasons and while Craig Berube has kept them in the first-place hunt a lot longer, they’ve yet to win in regulation this month.

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Which makes Saturday an ideal time to reverse course. They have to make Auston Matthews more productive at 5-on-5 and on the power play. Perhaps re-inject winger Nick Robertson after a couple of games in the press box, a benching he usually responds to.

Better results on overall special teams is crucial, Berube citing faster puck movement with the man advantage and hitting the net on the first shot are a must.

“We have to push through this and get better,” Berube said amid Thursday’s disappointment.

Really, being home for the next few games might be the best tonic of all for the Leafs who played 11 of 13 on the road, while Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander were all away from Toronto a couple of weeks longer, playing in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

“I think our guys have been through a lot and need some rest,” the coach said.

Lhornby@postmedia.com
X: @sunhornb

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