The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off their 2025 Stanley Cup run with a dominant 6-2 performance over the Ottawa Senators.

John Tavares was exceptional for the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the Battle of Ontario, scoring the game-winning goal on the power play, while also adding an assist. It marks his first multi-point playoff game since April 2023, when he recorded the feat twice in the Maple Leafs’ first-round victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Speaking after Sunday night’s physical contest, Tavares did not downplay the difficulty of the matchup despite Toronto’s strong performance.

“It was intense,” Tavares said. “It was a obviously a battle, it’s called the Battle of Ontario for a reason, so hard fought game.”

A veteran of this Maple Leafs team, the 34-year-old knows better than to celebrate too hard after just one game, and said they’ll be looking to continue improving on this performance through the series.

“I think there’s obviously a lot of good things that we did to put ourselves in a good spot and get the result we want, but we know we still can be a lot better,” Tavares said. “As the series develops, we have to continue to improve our game and execute and look at the things that we did well.”

With over 50 penalty minutes handed out across the two teams, there’s no denying that it was an extremely physical matchup. And as the Senators tried to push it further when they started to trail, the Leafs were right there to respond. Tavares added that those elements are a big part of the identity they’ve built this season under head coach Craig Berube.

“Playing physical, winning battles, winning races, 50/50 pucks, desperation to win lines, advance plays, block shots, all those things add up,” Tavares said. “And certainly the physical nature of the playoffs is a big part of it. That was something that we’ve always wanted to bring as part of our identity, as Chief has emphasized throughout the season.”

Perhaps most crucial to the Leafs win was their strength on the power play, with both of Tavares’ points coming on the man advantage. Seeing as special teams have struggled in Toronto in the playoffs in the past, Tavares spoke about the work they’ve done to get it to where it is now.

“Our focus has just been on building all facets of our game, so special teams is a big part of that,” Tavares said. “Did a good job to extend our lead and put ourselves in a good spot. So continuing to stay on it, stay sharp, and that’ll be a difference maker.”

The core four was on fire across the board Sunday night, with nine points between them. Speaking after the game, Berube praised how the key players stepped up to the task amid the pressure of the postseason.

“They played, they just played,” Berube said. “Yeah, the intensity ramps up in the playoffs and all this other stuff, but it’s just, they play. And I thought they did that. I thought they played a solid hockey game. Power play was obviously very good tonight, those guys did a good job.”