The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially clinched the Atlantic Division title for the 2024-25 season and secured a first-round matchup against the Ottawa Senators.

With a 4-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, the Leafs locked in first place and will face the first wildcard team. This year, that team is a familiar foe in their provincial rivals to renew the Battle of Ontario.

It is only the seventh time in franchise history that the Leafs finished the season atop their division, with their previous one being the 2020-21 COVID-shortened campaign when they won the Canadian Division crown. Their last proper division win came during the 1999-2000 season when they won the Northeast Division title.

The Leafs and Senators will meet in the playoffs for the fifth time ever and the first since the 2004 first round. Toronto won all four of the previous encounters, with the last one being their previous time winning a round prior to their win against the Lightning in 2023.

The Leafs had a reputation in the early 2000s for always losing to Ottawa in the regular season before defeating them in the playoffs, and while it’s too early to draw a true parallel considering the playoffs haven’t happened yet, the poor regular season play has already shone through. Ottawa won all three games during the regular season 2024-25 season, outscoring the Leafs 9-3 in those encounters along with a shutout in the first matchup back in November. The Senators have won seven of the previous six meetings between these two bitter rivals dating back to the 2023-24 season with all of the games being spirited affairs.

One of the most memorable came last campaign that saw Ridly Grieg take a slapshot at an empty net and Morgan Rielly immediately threw a cross-check up high that resulted in a five-game suspension for the defenceman. These two teams don’t like each other and that is going to bring some new life to the Battle of Ontario for the next generation of fans.

With the Atlantic Division title wrapped up, the Leafs have one game remaining in the regular season before the playoffs commence on April 19th. Next up is a tilt against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.