Enemy Territory: What the Maple Leafs Can Learn from the Senators

Since the lockout of 2004-05, the Toronto Maple Leafs have come out on the short end in the Battle of Ontario.

In the 20 games against the Ottawa Senators since the lockout, the Leafs are 6-14 and have lost games by scores of 7-0, 8-0 and 8-2.

Up until now, the Battle of Ontario has been pretty lopsided, right?

Well maybe, just maybe, Toronto has a new dominance to spout over the Senators (just in case Sens fans are tired of hearing about the Leafs dominance of their team in the playoffs), and it comes in the crease.

While Ottawa is stuck juggling their mismatched combination of Ray Emery and Martin Gerber, Toronto has finally found it’s stalwart in Vesa Toskala.

While Emery has evolved into a distraction to what is probably Canada's best shot at the Cup, Toronto has been able to ride V-Tosk's strong play of late, despite the world falling down around him in a market where a trade needs to happen because it will generate funds, as opposed to excitement for the team.

Ottawa has been able to build a strong team of forwards and defense, affording them the luxury of being able to insert an average goalie between the pipes and have him look stellar. 

In Toronto, they've been icing an average team each night, in front of a goalie that deserves, and had in San Jose, much better.

It's not like this "success" came easily, though. 

Over the past two and a half seasons, Toronto has gone through five goalies who have each played in over 30 games: Ed Belfour, Mikael Telqvist, J.S. Aubin, Andrew Raycroft and now Toskala. 

The Senators meanwhile, have had three: Martin Gerber, Ray Emery and Dominik Hasek.

That consistency has provided the Sens the opportunity to make the playoffs the past two years and most likely this season, barring a monumental collapse.

For countless years, Toronto's goalie carousel has only landed them a mid-range draft pick and an early tee time.  In what is the ultimate irony, Toronto ended up moving that mid-range draft pick to replace the last starting goalie.

As much as Leafs fans don't like it, the Buds are shaping up like the Sens were in their early years: The Sens struggled for four seasons, finishing low in the standings while stockpiling draft choices and strong young players.

Since then, the Ottawa Senators haven't missed the playoffs since 1996-97 and have accumulated 100 points six out of the past eight years.

Oddly enough, although the platoon of Damien Rhodes and Ron Tugnutt was successful, the Sens didn't have a goalie able to carry the entire load until Patrick Lalime played in 60 games for the black and red in 2000-01.

Maybe there is hope.

I mean, we already have the goalie and Justin Pogge, aka the "future," is waiting in the wings, but I'll believe that when I see him at the NHL level.

I'm fighting back the blood spurting from my eyes as I write this, but maybe the Leafs need to take a page out of the Senators' book so they can find their way to the top of the league. 

At this point, I'd do just about anything.