The Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs came into Game 6 of their first-round Eastern Conference 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff matchup knowing it was all on the line. Both teams knew every play would be extremely valuable. In the end, the initial 3-0 series lead was too big for those Pesky Sens to overcome, and they were downed by the Leafs in Game 6. Let’s figure out what all went down.
Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators Battle of Ontario Series Ends in 6 Games
Game 6 was a tense playoff matchup, for fans and players alike. There were some potentially missed calls throughout the game six but the big strike came on the power play. Auston Matthews managed to sneak one low against the post on Sens tendy Linus Ullmark. Some players you just can’t let shoot from those dangerous areas. These are some of the takeaways the Sens need to learn from for next time.
Later in the game, the Leafs would build their lead to two. That was all thanks to the birthday boy William Nylander.
New, for @TheAthletic: How a clerical error with Willam Nylander's famous last name nearly kept him out of the #leafs series-clinching victory … (on his birthday, and with his father Michael in attendance.)https://t.co/uvnpBGECzMhttps://t.co/uvnpBGECzM
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 2, 2025
On a side note, on the original gamesheet he was swapped for his brother, Alex Nylander. Fortunately, it was caught in time and William would be rewarded on his birthday. His goal less than a minute into the second period gave the Leafs a 2-0 lead.
Game 6 Had Plenty of Drama to the Battle of Ontario
But somehow you knew Sens captain Brady Tkachuk wouldn’t go quietly into the night of springtime air. This was Game 6, Leafs and Sens, Battle of Ontario afterall. His deflection goal in the second period gave the Canadian Tire Centre life. The Sens were pushing but it wasn’t until later in the third when David Perron banked one off Anthony Stolarz. The Sens and their fans were back in it.
However, the cheers and tie wouldn’t last long. Less than two minutes later, Pacioretty would pot the eventual game winner.
2-1 headed into the third. Series 3-2. Anything could happen. And even though the home crowd left disappointed, it really was a great period of hockey.
What Can the Teams Take from the series featuring the Leafs and Sens 6 Game Playoff
This was a series for the Sens to learn from for the future. Tkachuk and his teammates like Jake Sanderson and Tim Stutzle are only going up from here. This taste of playoff hockey will pay off in spades down the road. It’s the little things this time of year. Even from Game 1 and letting discipline decide things, those things add up in a seven game marathon.
As for the Leafs, the Core 4 came to play in this series. Yes, it wasn’t without question marks, such as the Game 5 shutout. However, in the end, they put up big numbers throughout the series. In the clincher, Matthews scored and Nylander had three points. The first game of the series, the four had combined for nine points.
Next up for Leafs is the Florida Panthers. They’re hoping the adversity Ottawa threw there way will help. Their top players seem to be rolling, which will make for an excellent series. So, it’s best of luck to Toronto in Round two and for Ottawa in 2025-26 and beyond.
Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers – Imagn Images
