When the Ottawa Senators host Toronto on Saturday night, there is more on the line than just a win.
Dubbed the 'Battle of Ontario,' this matchup has been a great Eastern Conference battle in recent years, and always carries a little more meaning than most.
“The Battle of Ontario is special every time you play just because of the rivalry itself,” Senators alternate captain Dion Phaneuf told the Ottawa Citizen. “There’s always the energy, always the rivalry and always the history of the Battle of Ontario. Now, the points are so important because the teams are both competitive and both trying to finish as high as they possibly can. It’s great to be part of these games as a player. They’re fun to be a part of the atmosphere. Whether they’re in Ottawa or Toronto, they’re great.
“The energy in the building is aways fun. It brings excitement. The fans love it, the community loves it and we enjoy playing it as players.”
The Maple Leafs have jumped out to a 6-1 start, and have already made themselves a favorite in the Eastern Conference. The Senators aren't far behind, either. While they've won just three matches this season, Ottawa has fallen twice in a shootout and once in an overtime period.
Last season, the Senators went 3-1 against the Maple Leafs, dominating the series. So when the two get together on Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, it's bound to be an exciting matchup.
“You can feel it in the community when we play Toronto in the Battle of Ontario (because) everyone has got a little more excitement to their day," Phaneuf told the Ottawa Citizen. "Whether you’re picking up your dry cleaning, whether you’re out for dinner, people are excited about it. It’s a rivalry that’s got history and it’s about us playing for our city and them playing for their city. It’s going to be fun to be a part of.”
Here is the Senators projected lineup:
Bobby Ryan - Derick Brassard - Mark Stone
Ryan Dzingel - Kyle Turris - Alexandre Burrows
Mike Hoffman - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Tom Pyatt
Nate Thompson - Logan Brown - Chris DiDomenico
Dion Phaneuf - Erik Karlsson
Johnny Oduya - Cody Ceci
Frederick Claesson - Chris Wideman
Craig Anderson
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Here is the Maple Leafs projected lineup:
Zach Hyman - Auston Matthews - William Nylander
Patrick Marleau - Nazem Kadri - Leo Komarov
James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Connor Brown
Matt Martin - Dominic Moore - Mitchell Marner
Morgan Reilly - Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner - Nikita Zaitsev
Andreas Borgman - Connor Carrick
Frederik Andersen
Scratched: Eric Fehr, Josh Leivo, Calle Rosen
Injuries: Nathan Horton, Joffrey Lupul