Comparisons between the Leafs and Senators are getting out of hand on social media
We can all agree that each and every fan base in the NHL - and sports as a whole - can be super biased and perhaps borderline delusional at times with hot takes or predictions relating to their own teams. However, there's a common theme and trend in recent years between Montreal and Ottawa as they constantly compare themselves - and at times put themselves on top of - to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Of course, the running joke is that the Maple Leafs were unable to get past the first round for years upon years and after finally getting over that hurdle this past season, they were taken down with relative ease in the second round. With a lineup stacked to the ceiling with superstars and players taking up a lot of the salary cap, something has to give, right?
With Ottawa being the provincial-rival and both teams being a part of some nasty playoff series' in the past, it's been quite some time since they've both been on the same playing field. The Senators are finally on the up-and-up after 6 consecutive seasons without making the playoffs and would appear to be ready to finally challenge for a spot. They have some great young talent, but still not up to par with the best of the Atlantic, Eastern Conference, or the NHL - just yet.
That hasn't stopped Sens fans from taking their swings and jabs towards the Maple Leafs, stating that they are either the superior team, have the better players, or both.
The Leafs possess the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, Tyler Bertuzzi, Matthew Knies and Max Domi for a lethal setup at the top of the lineup at forward. On the blueline, they have some solid defenders in Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, and Jake McCabe, among others, with Ilya Samsonov and a rookie sensation Joseph Woll between the pipes.
The Senators possess the likes of Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Claude Giroux, Vladimir Tarasenko, Josh Norris, and Drake Batherson in their top-6. On defense they have Thomas Chabot, Jakob Chychrun, and Jake Sanderson with Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg in net.
The Leafs can definitely take it to the bank that they have the better offense. The Senators might have the slightest of edges on the back end, but that can be argued, and in goal Samsonov and Joseph Woll certainly have the edge over Korpisalo and Forsberg.
The Maple Leafs, over the last 7 seasons, have qualified for the post-season in all (if you include the 2020 bubble qualifier), have finished no worse than 3rd in their division, have finished 5th or higher in the conference 4 times in 6 years - with the exception of 2020-21 - and have been one of the best teams in hockey since the COVID-pause.
The Senators have finished no higher than 6th in their division since 2017-18, went 5 straight seasons without a winning percentage higher than .455, and have only won more than 30 games twice.
Somewhere down the line, these two teams will become fierce rivals once more and perhaps even entertain a playoff series against one another. However, the last 6-7 years have shown the Leafs to be the superior team in nearly every facet. the Leafs have the better constructed roster as of right now, and the next few years, the Leafs have the better outlook in terms of the window being open to win. Time will tell how Ottawa will combat their bitter provincial rivals, but they need to make the playoffs first before the fans can begin to compare them to the perennial contending Leafs.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 27 | 10 ANSWERS Comparisons between the Leafs and Senators are getting out of hand on social media If you could choose between the Leafs' core and the Sens' core, who would you choose? | ||
| Leafs | 7 | 70 % |
| Sens | 3 | 30 % |
| List of polls | ||
