"Brady Sucks" and the Return of the Battle of Ontario

Starting Goalies for the Battle of Ontario

"Brady sucks!"—you can hear it anywhere Leafs fans are gathered.

It’s not just that fans dislike Brady Tkachuk like they did Brad Marchand. Since the Four Nations Faceoff, there’s been a growing, Canada-wide disdain for Ottawa’s hard-nosed captain, unless you are a Senators fan.

Now, the Leafs and Sens have finally met in the playoffs. The Battle of Ontario is back—and it feels like fate. This rivalry defined the early 2000s, and with Toronto rebuilt into a gritty contender featuring sons of the 2002 Leafs, we’re finally getting that old-school edge again (by today's standards).

There might even be more Leafs fans than Sens fans in the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday. With how loud Toronto’s crowd has been, Ottawa could be out-cheered in their own building—very LA Rams of them.

I still don’t love the NHL’s playoff format, but it delivered here. This series is tight, heated, and unpredictable.

And if I had to bet on anything, we’re due for a classic Brady Tkachuk meltdown any game now.

I also heard a rumor of a Leafs-related discount coming to OwnersBox….