Toronto Maple Leafs Schedule

Long before the first player hits the ice in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs schedule provides fans a tantalizing first look at the season ahead. While actually getting to see all of the hockey action is the primary desire of fans in each of the National Hockey League cities across North America, there is something to be said for the power of the schedule. Analyzing a calendar of future match-ups allows for the power of imagination to take charge, as the die-hard puckhead visualize the end result for each of the Maple Leafs upcoming contests. Of course, it never really quite works out exactly how its supposed to. But then again, as they say, that's why they play the game. And what a game it is, right Toronto fans?

Toronto Maple Leafs Schedule: The Battle of Ontario

Each season, many alleged rivals grace the Toronto Maple Leafs schedule. There are the Boston Bruins, the Buffalo Sabres, the Detroit Red Wings, the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers, all of whom share some bad blood with the Maple Leafs. Then there is the team's traditional rival, the Montreal Canadiens. However, it has been some time since Toronto and Montreal have locked horns in a meaningful game, and during that time, it has lost some of its steam. That said, the predominant rivalry at this time is the Battle of Ontario, pitting the Leafs against their province rivals, the Ottawa Senators. It all started when the expansion Senators game into the NHL in 1992, causing some former Toronto fans to change allegiances. The teams played five games a season against each other, and as Ottawa blossomed into a playoff contender in the late 1990s, the tension grew between the two clubs. However, it wasn't until the two clubs met in the playoffs four time from 2000 through 2004, including a pair of classic seven-game series, that this became the rivalry that it is today.