There are a ton of great rivalries in the NHL. The Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs are one of them.

These rivalries always impact NHL betting odds, and for any avid sports bettor, knowing which teams are rivals can always have a big impact on chances for a win.

There are two types of rivalries in the NHL — short-lived rivalries and long-term rivalries. The Senators and Maple Leafs have a rivalry that is so good it is called the Battle of Ontario.

The Battle of Ontario

The Battle of Ontario is a rivalry between the Senators and the Maple Leafs. Both of these teams currently compete in the Atlantic Division. With the current scheduling, the teams meet either three or four in a regular season.

Games between these two teams are often televised by Hockey Night in Canada. It is known to be one of the top rivalries in the NHL.

History

The Senators joined the NHL in 1992, but the rivalry did not technically begin until a few years later. From 1993 until 1998, Toronto was in the Western Conference, while Ottawa was in the Eastern Conference, so they did not play very often. 

But, just before the 1998-99 season, divisions and conferences were realigned, and Toronto moved to the Eastern Conference with the Senators. 

In 2000, the rivalry was burning in a new fire when they met in the playoffs. The Maple Leafs took down the Senators in six games.

The 21st Century 

The Senators and Maple Leafs met in the playoffs the next two seasons.

FanDuel NHL odds were as crazy as you can imagine, as the Maple Leafs swept the Senators in 2001 and beat them in seven games in 2002.

Then, in 2003, the rivalry peaked when there was a wild melee during a game.

Darcy Tucker received a five-game suspension, while Tie Domi was suspended for three games for their part in a big brawl.

Tucker of the Maple Leafs attacked Chris Neil of the Senators, who was sitting on the bench, in the third period.

After the game, Tucker claimed Neil spit on him, an allegation Neil denies.

A total of 163 minutes of penalties were called in this single game alone.

A year later, Toronto and Ottawa matched up in the playoffs in 2004, and Daniel Alfredsson promised success for the Senators.

Following a 2-0 loss in Game 5, the Ottawa captain promised his team would advance by winning the next two games.

The Senators delivered in Game 6, but they lost in Game 7.

After the Lockout

After the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the Maple Leafs started to struggle, and the two teams have not met in the playoffs since. 

The Senators had an awesome run in 2017, making the Eastern Conference Final, but besides that, there has not been much success in Ottawa, either.

Overall

These two teams have a complex history, and even though they have been around for a long time, their rivalry is actually still quite fresh and sure to bring more entertainment in the future.

John Smark