Here, Michael Amadio (l.) of the Senators was only the runner-up; his team also lost the match decisively. © APA / CLAUS ANDERSEN

Playoff start: Maple Leafs lead in the Battle of Ontario

The duel between Ottawa and Toronto—the so-called "Battle of Ontario"—last occurred in the NHL playoffs 21 years ago. At the start of this year's playoffs, the Maple Leafs took the lead in this prestigious duel.

April 21, 2025

From: dpa/apa/sn

The Ottawa Senators lost 2-6 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening game of the playoff series. The two teams will meet again in Toronto on Wednesday night (CEST), with the next two games taking place in Ottawa. Four wins are needed to advance in the best-of-seven series.

Austrian NHL star Marco Rossi and the Minnesota Wild suffered a 2-4 defeat against the Vegas Golden Knights. Thomas Hertl gave the hosts the lead in Las Vegas (15th minute), Pavel Dorofeyev added another in the 33rd minute, before Brett Howden scored twice (42nd, 59th) to secure the win for the Golden Knights. Matt Boldy's two goals (17th, 51st) couldn't prevent Minnesota's defeat.

Brett Howden hit the mark in the playoff opener. © APA / CANDICE WARD

The Golden Knights will also have home-court advantage in their second playoff game on Tuesday, with games three and four taking place on Thursday and Saturday in St. Paul. Minnesota is battling the Golden Knights in a best-of-seven series to end a decade-long streak, as the Wild haven't advanced past the first round of the playoffs since 2015. However, Rossi and Co. are underdogs against the 2023 Stanley Cup champions. The team from Las Vegas has won all three of its regular season games and also won its only playoff matchup in 2021, in seven games.