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With respect to rivalries in hockey, only a few can live up to the hype and fanfare that surrounds the Battle of Ontario. As the Ottawa Senators have established themselves as a legitimate hockey franchise, the Toronto Maple Leafs have grown to despise anything and everything regarding their northern neighbors, and vice versa.
The rivalry was born and subsequently fueled by the natural geography of the two cities. Located just a few hours away by drive, the Maple Leafs and Senators have made a concerted effort to sell their rivalry, and judging by the reaction of both the fans and players when game day rolls around, I'd say they've done a laudable job to date. It also helps that the two compete in the Northeast division, meaning that, at the very least, they play against each other six times a year.
Unfortunately, the actual play in the rivalry has taken a noticeable dip in the past few seasons. The Battle of Ontario has had all of the elements of a standard rivalry for quite some time, but has been lacking the final variable; two rosters with actual, playoff talent. Before the Ottawa Senators were making noise in the standings, the Toronto Maple Leafs were a quality product. By the time Ottawa jumped into relevancy, the Toronto Maple Leafs had regressed into relative non-existence.
Last year, by all accounts, was a new low for the rivalry. You know it's bad when neither team brags about winning a game in the series. In fact, I think decent chunks of each fan base were subtly rooting for a loss and the subsequent positive effect it'd have on their draft status(
for Toronto, that means outside of the first round).
Both sides know what I'm talking about. On a Leafs/Senators gameday in years past, everything stopped. Yes, Toronto also maintains rivalries with Buffalo, Montreal, et al., but the growing disdain for the Ottawa Senators has - especially of late - increased tenfold. And, in Ottawa, Toronto remains the natural rivalry and the alleged hub of everything hockey. Easy to understand their hatred, too.
Yet, that 'feeling' of time almost stopping as it does in every other rivalry across professional sports simply didn't exist. It just felt like another game for both teams, as the Senators continued their quest to plummet to the bottom of the standings while the Leafs toiled in mediocrity. Neither team legitimately expected to make the playoffs two months into the season, meaning a lot of - well, nothing.
And that was precisely the problem. When the players don't have much to play for, and wins and losses simply don't mean what they should, the play in the rivalry suffers. The Maple Leafs already seemed focused on the potential chase of a playoff spot in the following year, and the Senators were too busy shopping any and every realizable asset to complete a tank-job the only way possible.
Hell, guys like Francis Lessard were logging meaningful minutes. And who can forget the rage emanating from the mouth of Don Cherry as he watched the Leafs continue to trot out a lineup that didn't feature all-world talent Mike Zigomanis?
Yes, a new low for this once proud rivalry.
I'd actually be willing to bet that even some of the hardcore fans from both fan bases don't even remember the series record from last season. The two split it 3-3, for the record.
But, the doldrums of the rivalry won't last long, as both teams are trending upwards in a nice way. Perhaps that's the most important part of it all - they're both heading in the right direction at the same time. The Maple Leafs might be relevant this season, the Senators in a year or two. The goal, though, is to have both competing in a cutthroat atmosphere that - for the first time in a long time - matters. Give it a few seasons, and I think we're going to get that in a big way.
The Maple Leafs continue to groom young talent while still icing a fairly respectable roster. In Ottawa, the focus is primarily on the talent of an infinitely impressive prospect pool, one that features an absurd amount of riches on the back end. The games will feature new combatants, fresh and talented faces to replace the likes of the recently departed Mats Sundin and the soon-to-depart Daniel Alfredsson.
At the very least, it won't be Jay Rosehill and Zenon Konopka.
No, this one will focus on some of the high-flying and flashy forwards in Toronto against the hulking blueliners in Ottawa. Kadri and Cowen. Kulemin and Rundblad. The battle of up and coming goaltenders in Reimer and Lehner. And, should a scrap break out, you can be sure that Colton Orr and Matt Carkner(or Chris Neil, presumably) will be ready to do battle. Just as long as it's not Bryan McCabe and Zdeno Chara.
The best part? Each side can reciprocate. How about Jason Spezza coming in hard on Luke Schenn and/or Dion Phaneuf?
Perhaps the most important part is that there will still be room for disappointment, which is always important in the blogosphere. Nothing like watching Nick Foligno take in the puck on a guy like Mike Komisarek. No matter the end reaction, you know one player's going to be absolutely roasted to shit in the post-game.
The fans and front offices are ready for hatred to be renewed, and in time, we'll unquestionably see improvements. Even this year, with Toronto hopeful of grabbing one of the eight playoff spots, the play should be a bit more meaningful.
So, it can't get any worse than last year. Nope. No way, no how.
Right?
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