Round 1 - Game 3 Preview: Leafs @ Senators

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Ottawa Senators
07:00 PM at Canadian Tire Centre
Watch on: ESPN2, SN, CBC, TVAS

The series moves up the road to Ottawa for two games.

Them

As with the skate before last game, Nick Jensen and our friend Ridly Greig were absent, but they are assumed to be playing. This would give the team the same lineup as last game.

Lines

Last Game (2025-04-22) via Daily Faceoff

Brady Tkachuk - Tim Stützle - Claude Giroux
David Perron - Dylan Cozens - Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig - Shane Pinto - Michael Amadio
Nick Cousins - Adam Gaudette - Fabian Zetterlund

Jake Sanderson - Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot - Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven - Nikolas Matinpalo

Linus Ullmark
Anton Forsberg

Us

Should the Leafs make any lineup changes? That's a tough call. They've won twice, and coaches don't like to mess with a lineup that's been winning. Taking a long view of the playoffs, maybe now is the time to start working players in who have been idle for a time.

The decision today is to leave the lineup almost entirely as is and replace Nick Robertson with Max Pacioretty.

If the Leafs win, then there might be a rotation of the goalies next game.

Lines

Last Game (2025-04-22) via Daily Faceoff with one change.

Matthew Knies - Auston Matthews - Mitch Marner
Pontus Holmberg - John Tavares - William Nylander
Bobby McMann - Max Domi - Max Pacioretty.
Steven Lorentz - Scott Laughton - Calle Järnkrok

Jake McCabe - Chris Tanev
Morgan Rielly - Brandon Carlo
Simon Benoit - Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Anthony Stolarz
Joe Woll

The Game

This is the most likely game for Ottawa to win. Moneypuck has Ottawa at 50.2 to Toronto's 49.8 percent. But beyond the home ice advantage, what gives Ottawa an emotional edge is the simple fact that if they can't win this game, they can't win.

Saturday's game is the second most likely game for them to win for much the same reasons. A win tonight for the Leafs is a dagger in the heart of their hopes.

Crush their dreams, guys.