<p>The Battle of Ontario is finally underway and the Toronto Maple Leafs held an optional morning skate ahead of Sunday&#8217;s Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators.</p>
<p>Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is slated to return for Game 1, with head coach Craig Berube confirming his availability.</p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<p>&#8220;He&#8217;s been a very good player in this league for a long time. Experience, winning a Cup, that experience he went through there. He&#8217;s been a really good all-around defenceman for us in my opinion, in all situations. He&#8217;s the type of guy who is very versatile, moving him around with different partners and playing the right side. Power play, penalty kill, he&#8217;s a guy we really count on in different situations and in different roles, more than anything. He&#8217;s very accepting of it and handles it well.&#8221;</p>
<p>Ekman-Larsson has been out of the lineup since April 9, and was <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/jake-mccabe-will-play-game-1-oliver-ekman-larsson-determined">previously considered day-to-day</a>. The 33-year-old recorded four goals and 29 points in 77 games during the regular season, and will likely be paired alongside Simon Benoit.</p>
<p>Anthony Stolarz is the projected starter for the Maple Leafs. Stolarz was outstanding during the regular season, posting a 21-8-3 record with a .926 save percentage, winning his past eight starts. It appears unlikely that Berube will rotate a goaltending tandem throughout the playoffs, with Stolarz winning the role during the regular season.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The calm before Game 1 <a href="https://t.co/zq54Ql5WAY">pic.twitter.com/zq54Ql5WAY</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Arun Srinivasan (@Arunthings) <a href="https://twitter.com/Arunthings/status/1913948632920826356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Toronto is running back the same forward lines from Game 82 of the regular season, with Max Domi on the second line alongside John Tavares and William Nylander. Jake McCabe will rejoin Chris Tanev as part of Toronto&#8217;s shutdown defensive pairing.</p>
<p>It could be a cagey matchup, as the Senators swept the regular season series.</p>
<p>&#8220;You&#8217;re not going to get any easy ice against them. None. It&#8217;s going to be a battle,&#8221; Berube said.</p>
<h3>Maple Leafs&#8217; projected lineup vs. Senators</h3>
<p><em>Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner</em></p>
<p><em>Max Domi-John Tavares-William Nylander</em></p>
<p><em>Bobby McMann-Pontus Holmberg-Nick Robertson </em></p>
<p><em>Steven Lorentz-Scott Laughton-Calle Jarnkrok</em></p>
<p><em>Jake McCabe-Chris Tanev</em></p>
<p><em>Morgan Rielly-Brandon Carlo</em></p>
<p><em>Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Simon Benoit </em></p>
<p><em>Anthony Stolarz (projected starter)</em></p>
<p><em>Joseph Woll</em></p>
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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The Battle of Ontario is finally underway and the Toronto Maple Leafs held an optional morning skate ahead of Sunday's Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators.

Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is slated to return for Game 1, with head coach Craig Berube confirming his availability.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
"He's been a very good player in this league for a long time. Experience, winning a Cup, that experience he went through there. He's been a really good all-around defenceman for us in my opinion, in all situations. He's the type of guy who is very versatile, moving him around with different partners and playing the right side. Power play, penalty kill, he's a guy we really count on in different situations and in different roles, more than anything. He's very accepting of it and handles it well."

Ekman-Larsson has been out of the lineup since April 9, and was <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/jake-mccabe-will-play-game-1-oliver-ekman-larsson-determined">previously considered day-to-day</a>. The 33-year-old recorded four goals and 29 points in 77 games during the regular season, and will likely be paired alongside Simon Benoit.

Anthony Stolarz is the projected starter for the Maple Leafs. Stolarz was outstanding during the regular season, posting a 21-8-3 record with a .926 save percentage, winning his past eight starts. It appears unlikely that Berube will rotate a goaltending tandem throughout the playoffs, with Stolarz winning the role during the regular season.

https://twitter.com/Arunthings/status/1913948632920826356

Toronto is running back the same forward lines from Game 82 of the regular season, with Max Domi on the second line alongside John Tavares and William Nylander. Jake McCabe will rejoin Chris Tanev as part of Toronto's shutdown defensive pairing.

It could be a cagey matchup, as the Senators swept the regular season series.

"You're not going to get any easy ice against them. None. It's going to be a battle," Berube said.
<h3>Maple Leafs' projected lineup vs. Senators</h3>
<em>Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner</em>

<em>Max Domi-John Tavares-William Nylander</em>

<em>Bobby McMann-Pontus Holmberg-Nick Robertson </em>

<em>Steven Lorentz-Scott Laughton-Calle Jarnkrok</em>

<em>Jake McCabe-Chris Tanev</em>

<em>Morgan Rielly-Brandon Carlo</em>

<em>Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Simon Benoit </em>

<em>Anthony Stolarz (projected starter)</em>

<em>Joseph Woll</em>
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>

Scenes from Leafs’ morning skate: Ekman-Larsson available for Game 1, Stolarz projected to start

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