The Battle of Ontario: A Leafs Fan’s Hope Rekindled in the 2025 Playoffs

By Dara Jerde

As a 34-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs fan born and raised in the heart of Toronto, I’ve lived through decades of heartbreak, hope, and unwavering loyalty to the blue and white. Tonight, April 20, 2025, the Stanley Cup Playoffs kick off with the Battle of Ontario, pitting our beloved Leafs against the Ottawa Senators in a first-round series that feels like a collision of destiny and rivalry. For Leafs Nation, this isn’t just a playoff series—it’s a chance to rewrite a narrative that’s been stuck on repeat since 1967, the last time Toronto hoisted the Stanley Cup. As I settle into my usual spot on the couch, decked out in my Auston Matthews jersey, I can’t help but feel the weight of history and the flicker of hope that this year, maybe, just maybe, things will be different.

Growing up in Toronto, the Leafs were more than a hockey team—they were a way of life. My dad used to tell me stories of the 1967 Cup win, how the city erupted in joy when George Armstrong sealed the deal against the Montreal Canadiens. I was born in 1990, so I’ve never seen the Leafs win it all. Instead, my fandom has been shaped by near-misses, first-round exits, and the kind of emotional rollercoaster that only a Leafs fan can understand. From the Wendel Clark era to the Mats Sundin years, and now the Core Four of Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares, I’ve cheered through it all, clinging to the dream that one day we’ll see the Cup parade down Yonge Street again.

The Battle of Ontario adds an extra layer of intensity to this playoff run. The Leafs and Senators haven’t met in the postseason since 2004, when Toronto won a gritty seven-game series. Back then, I was a teenager, screaming at the TV as Curtis Joseph stood on his head and Joe Nieuwendyk broke Ottawa’s hearts. This time around, the rivalry feels fresher, fiercer. Ottawa swept us in the regular season, outscoring us 9-3 in three games, with Linus Ullmark playing like a brick wall. Their fans are hungry, fueled by a young core of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, and Jake Sanderson, and they’re coming off a seven-year playoff drought. But we’ve got history on our side—Toronto’s never lost a playoff series to Ottawa, going 4-0 in their matchups from 2000 to 2004.

Still, history is a double-edged sword for Leafs fans. That 1967 Cup, our 13th, feels like a distant legend. Since then, we’ve endured 58 years of drought—the longest in the NHL. I’ve watched other teams celebrate, from the Oilers in the ‘80s to the Lightning and Panthers in recent years, while we’ve been left with “next year” as our mantra. The pain of blowing a 3-1 lead to Montreal in 2021, the gut-punch of losing to Boston in Game 7 last year, and the countless first-round exits since 2004 have tested our resolve. Yet, every spring, I find myself believing again. That’s what being a Leafs fan is—eternal hope wrapped in scar tissue.

This year feels different, though. Under Craig Berube, the Leafs have found a new identity. The guy who led the Blues to a Cup in 2019 has brought a no-nonsense, north-south style that’s made us deeper and tougher. We clinched the Atlantic Division with 108 points, our first full-season division title in 25 years. Mitch Marner, my personal favorite, hit 100 points for the first time, proving he’s more than just a playmaker. Auston Matthews, despite some injuries, keeps rewriting the record books, and John Tavares is having a resurgent season. Our goaltending, once a question mark, has been a strength with Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll combining for a .916 save percentage. Even our defense, with Chris Tanev’s 189 blocked shots and Brandon Carlo stabilizing the back end, feels built for playoff hockey.

But it’s not just the stats that have me hopeful—it’s the vibe. Social media is buzzing with Leafs fans ready for war. A post captured it perfectly: “The Toronto Maple Leafs are once again poised  for a playoff run, igniting a mix of anxiety and hope amongst fans.” That’s me in a nutshell—anxious but hopeful. Another post on X from a local radio show had me nodding along: “The Battle of Ontario is when the Leafs became my thing... For young Leafs fans to get to be a part of this... I’m so stoked.” It’s true—this series is reigniting the passion for a new generation, just like those early 2000s battles did for me.

Ottawa won’t make it easy. Their physicality, led by Tkachuk’s 228 hits, and their ability to draw penalties could exploit our middling penalty kill. Ullmark’s been a game-changer in net, and their late-season surge shows they’re no pushovers. But I keep coming back to our firepower. We scored 263 goals this season, good for a top-10 offense, and our power play is clicking at 24.8%. If Marner keeps quarterbacking the special teams and Matthews finds his scoring touch, I like our chances.

As a Torontonian, the Battle of Ontario is personal. I’ve got friends in Ottawa who’ve been trash-talking all week, and I’m ready to see Scotiabank Arena rocking tonight. The “natural intensity” of this rivalry, as Leafs goalie Stolarz put it, is going to make this series a war. I’m dreaming of a six-game win, with Matthews sniping the series-clincher and Leafs fans drowning out the Senators faithful at Canadian Tire Centre.

Deep down, though, this series is about more than just beating Ottawa. It’s about taking the first step toward ending that 58-year drought. Canada hasn’t seen a Cup winner since Montreal in 1993, and with five Canadian teams in the playoffs, the pressure’s on. For Leafs fans, it’s about shedding the weight of past failures and proving this team, this core, this city can do it. I want to believe what Steven Lorentz said after winning a Cup with Florida last year: “It’s not as exciting when you win 2-1 rather than 7-6, but that’s championship hockey.” That’s the kind of hockey I think Berube’s built us for.

Tonight, as the puck drops, I’ll be cheering with the same hope I’ve carried since I was a kid watching Sundin. The ghosts of 1967, of Barilko’s curse, of all those Game 7s—they’re there, but they don’t define us. This is a new chapter. Win or lose, I’ll be here, wearing my jersey, believing in my Leafs. Because that’s what we do in Leafs Nation—we hope, we hurt, and we keep coming back for more. Go Leafs Go!

Dara Jerde is a a freelance writer for Veritas Expositae

You can reach her at dara.jerde@veritasexpositae.com