GDT: Battle of Ontario Part 2 – Leafs at Sens (Sportsnet, 7:30 p.m)

by Declan Kerin on October 30, 2011 in Game Day - 524 Comments

Image credit: MapleLeafsHotStove.com

Photo: sportsnet.ca

MAPLE LEAFS (7-2-1)
at SENATORS (6-5-0)

TV: SNET-Ontario, SNET-East, TVA

LAST 10: Toronto 7-2-1, Ottawa 5-5-0

Kessel: 16pts in 12 games versus Senators.

The Battle of Ontario resumes tonight with the second matchup in a six-game series between the two clubs this season. The Toronto Maple Leafs, by many accounts, are the best team in the Eastern Conference right now and it’s not unreasonable to say, possibly the entire league. After convincingly outplaying and beating perennial Stanley Cup contenders, the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-3 Saturday night, Toronto’s team looks to be figuring out who they are and how they play. There was a palpable buzz in the City of Toronto after last night’s win—a demonstration that they can run with any team in the league. Toronto is starting to win all types of games, but what they’re showing in a general sense is that  they can force teams to play their fast, chance-for-chance brand of game, one which allows their now-potent offense to make the difference. Also encouraging is Toronto’s ability to quickly bounce back after conceding.

Toronto’s top two lines are proving to be a dominant force, but the 3rd and 4th lines have been keeping the pressure up, making it a wave after wave of attack that is hard to endure. The Leafs’ defence corps is getting quick first passes up the ice in a hurry and hitting the Leafs forwards in full stride. Toronto’s speed through the neutral zone is easily among the fastest in the league  and one of the hallmarks of their play. In short—extremely entertaining hockey to watch. Jonas Gustavsson had an excellent  game last night in Toronto (named as 1st star) and looks to have found the confidence in his game again. Consecutive starts has proven wonders for his game and this only bodes well for the Leafs if they can get goaltending like they got from him last night.

Trending as one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference themselves as of late, Ottawa is on a five-game winning streak and have shown a lot of resilience in a few comeback performances. The Battle of Ontario was starting to lose a bit of it’s luster, but with both teams competitive at the moment, it’s sure to be a fiery affair. Both teams played last night, so there are no excuses from either side.

Print article