<p>The Battle of Ontario has earned its name through four games so far, delivering on its promise of a physical series on both ends of the ice. With that being said, it&#8217;s raised some questions on the officiating and how discipline is being administered between the two teams.</p>
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<p>In Game 4, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/toronto-maple-leafs/line-combinations">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> caught heat for failing to capitalize on a four-minute power play in overtime before the Ottawa Senators sealed it later in the period. That man advantage came without special teams veteran John Tavares, who missed a solid chunk of overtime after taking an elbow to the head from Artem Zub.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a look at that play:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">alright, standard set <a href="https://t.co/xRKrSqtnHA">pic.twitter.com/xRKrSqtnHA</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Omar (@TicTacTOmar) <a href="https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1916311451700002959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>While there was concern when he left the bench that there may be a serious injury at play, he returned later in the period. Tavares confirmed Monday that he was <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/john-tavares-cleared-concussion-spotter-game-4-ottawa-senators">removed by a concussion spotter</a>, but was given the all clear. Zub did not receive a penalty on the play, nor did the league follow up with any additional discipline, much to the dismay of Toronto head coach Craig Berube, who was firm in his assessment of the play.</p>
<p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t like the hit,&#8221; Berube said, <a href="https://x.com/markhmasters/status/1916887940615037091">speaking after practice</a> Monday morning. &#8220;Puck’s nowhere near him. Looked like a headshot to me.&#8221;</p>
<p>Berube&#8217;s comments come amidst league-wide criticism of the playoff officiating, with dirty plays going unpunished, like <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/ridly-greig-ottawa-senators-villain-toronto-maple-leafs">Ridly Greig&#8217;s cross-check on Tavares</a> earlier in the series, while the league clamps down on <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/ottawa-senators-nick-cousins-fined-firing-puck-anthony-stolarz">minute instances of what they deem unsportsmanlike conduct.</a> While heavy physicality is a given in the playoffs, there has to be consistency with discipline for cheap shots like Zub&#8217;s elbow to Tavares, especially with crucial games on the line. Allowing this kind of play to go undisciplined sets a dangerous precedent for the series going forward, especially with the Senators playing in desperation mode down 3-1.</p>
<p>So with Berube stating his frustration with what he sees as a missed call, it sets the stage for the Game 5 showdown scheduled for Tuesday night from Scotiabank Arena. Toronto&#8217;s head coach has made his displeasure clear, and there&#8217;s no doubt his roster will be ready to come out with a response of their own.</p>
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The Battle of Ontario has earned its name through four games so far, delivering on its promise of a physical series on both ends of the ice. With that being said, it's raised some questions on the officiating and how discipline is being administered between the two teams.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
In Game 4, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/toronto-maple-leafs/line-combinations">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> caught heat for failing to capitalize on a four-minute power play in overtime before the Ottawa Senators sealed it later in the period. That man advantage came without special teams veteran John Tavares, who missed a solid chunk of overtime after taking an elbow to the head from Artem Zub.

Here's a look at that play:

https://twitter.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1916311451700002959

While there was concern when he left the bench that there may be a serious injury at play, he returned later in the period. Tavares confirmed Monday that he was <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/john-tavares-cleared-concussion-spotter-game-4-ottawa-senators">removed by a concussion spotter</a>, but was given the all clear. Zub did not receive a penalty on the play, nor did the league follow up with any additional discipline, much to the dismay of Toronto head coach Craig Berube, who was firm in his assessment of the play.

"I don't like the hit," Berube said, <a href="https://x.com/markhmasters/status/1916887940615037091">speaking after practice</a> Monday morning. "Puck’s nowhere near him. Looked like a headshot to me."

Berube's comments come amidst league-wide criticism of the playoff officiating, with dirty plays going unpunished, like <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/ridly-greig-ottawa-senators-villain-toronto-maple-leafs">Ridly Greig's cross-check on Tavares</a> earlier in the series, while the league clamps down on <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/ottawa-senators-nick-cousins-fined-firing-puck-anthony-stolarz">minute instances of what they deem unsportsmanlike conduct.</a> While heavy physicality is a given in the playoffs, there has to be consistency with discipline for cheap shots like Zub's elbow to Tavares, especially with crucial games on the line. Allowing this kind of play to go undisciplined sets a dangerous precedent for the series going forward, especially with the Senators playing in desperation mode down 3-1.

So with Berube stating his frustration with what he sees as a missed call, it sets the stage for the Game 5 showdown scheduled for Tuesday night from Scotiabank Arena. Toronto's head coach has made his displeasure clear, and there's no doubt his roster will be ready to come out with a response of their own.
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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Craig Berube on Artem Zub’s hit on John Tavares: ‘Looked like a head shot to me’

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