GAME DAY PREVIEW: Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs 02/28/2026

Claude Giroux and John Tavares battle during the Senators and Maple Leafs meeting on Dec. 27. Credit @Senators

The storied Battle of Ontario will see it's first chapter in the year 2026 written tonight, as the Ottawa Senators (28-22-8) visit the Toronto Maple Leafs (27-23-9) at 7 p.m.

Lee Versage and I will be live shortly before puck drop on the OSN YouTube Channel, and immediately after the final horn for This Is Overtime.

SENATORS PROJECTED LINEUP

Batherson - Stützle - Giroux

Tkachuk - Cozens - Greig

Cousins - Pinto - Amadio

Halliday - Eller - Zetterlund

Sanderson - Zub

Chabot - Jensen

Kleven - Spence

Ullmark

Reimer

GAME NOTES

This is the Senators second game back from the Olympic break, following Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. It was a game the Sens dominated, but as the story has gone for much of this season, they found a way to lose.

That can't happen tonight against their provincial rivals, and the team that eliminated them from in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last year. It's as close to must-win as it gets, if the Senators wish to remain in the race.

With Boston's 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers this afternoon, the Senators sit seven points out of the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. The Leafs are eight points out after dropping ugly 4-2 and 5-1 losses this week to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.

The Leafs won their first meeting this year 7-5 on Dec. 27, in the game which Linus Ullmark left early before taking his leave from the team for mental health reasons. The Swede gets the start tonight, and has to play like the team's MVP down the stretch should they wish to remain in the hunt.

The trade deadline is also just one week away. Including tonight's game, Senators President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Steve Staios three games to figure out if this team will buy, sell, or stand pat...

Be sure to catch our full game preview on the OSN YouTube Channel, and check after the final horn for our postgame show: This Is Overtime.