Apr 26, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Drake batherson (19) follows the puck as it slips past Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz (41) on a shot from Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (18 - not pictured) in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/2fe3e48d-2ed2-42eb-8a8a-69a8eb81e6df.jpeg] Apr 26, 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators right wing Drake batherson (19) follows the puck as it slips past Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz (41) on a shot from Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle (18 - not pictured) in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images As the Toronto Maple Leafs walked into the dressing room following their 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators, they could have thought either of two ways: it was only one loss, or their sky was beginning to fall. With recent versions of their team, you might've been able to pick the latter. However, with this Craig Berube version of the Maple Leafs, I don't think we're there quite yet. Toronto had the upper hand going into Game 4 in Ottawa. A 3-0 series lead, their power play was clicking, and Anthony Stolarz was playing lights-out hockey behind a strong defensive team. A team like Ottawa, though, wasn't going to quit. The Maple Leafs knew that. Sure, Toronto could've buried their chance in overtime with a four-minute power play, but missing John Tavares, who went to the dressing room after getting hit up high (and returned after the power play ended [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/i-dont-think-theres-any-concern-maple-leafs-john-tavares-fine-after-collision-with-senators-artem-zub-in-overtime]), threw a wrench into those plans. And when you go to overtime, as we've seen in Games 2 and 3, any team can win. "I don’t think that was the case tonight," said Berube on Saturday, when asked about the potential of the seed of doubt. "I thought our team played extremely hard, did a lot of great things. We gave up four shots in two periods. I thought we defended hard, played hard. Bounces go one way or another. I’m not too concerned about it. I thought our team was ready to go. Did a lot of good things tonight, it didn’t work out." Historically, the Maple Leafs have struggled to close out a series. Since 2018, Toronto has gone 1-12 in series-clinching games, only closing out their series in 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. That game, too, which they won 2-1, went into overtime. But while many look at that record with anxiety, others might believe that this version of the team is different. "We put ourselves in such a great spot. We just got to follow through with it," Matthew Knies said Saturday night. "We're just excited to get another opportunity and bring it back home as well." Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Tavares, and Knies combined for 15 points in seven games [https://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?reportType=season&seasonFrom=20232024&seasonTo=20232024&gameType=3&playerPlayedFor=franchise.5&sort=points,goals,assists&page=0&pageSize=50] against the Boston Bruins last spring. This year, they've put together 26 points in four games, nearly double their clip from last playoffs in three fewer games. Stolarz, too, came up huge when the Maple Leafs needed it most. He's a massive reason why they've been able to be up in this series. ‘I Didn’t Even Notice, To Be Honest’: Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz Downplays Nick Cousins Warmup Incident After Game 4 Loss To Senators [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/e810d679-29fc-49a8-a3bd-566409135820.jpeg] ‘I Didn’t Even Notice, To Be Honest’: Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz Downplays Nick Cousins Warmup Incident After Game 4 Loss To Senators Though the warmup shenanigans ahead of Game 3 in the Battle of Ontario led to disciplinary fines, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz says he didn’t even notice the sideshow despite being at the center of it. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/i-didnt-even-notice-to-be-honest-maple-leafs-anthony-stolarz-downplays-nick-cousins-warmup-incident-after-game-4-loss-to-senators] Toronto might've lost a close-out-the-series game again, but they're in a different spot this year than in years past. If they really want to prove that, though, they'll end the series on Tuesday at home. "We just got to stick to our game," William Nylander said Saturday of the mindset going into Game 5. "We don’t change anything, we just keep going. All these games have been tight, so just got to stick with it." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwytvfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
