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Anthony Stolarz doesn’t have a lot to do with the Leafs’ past playoff problems, but boy, is he a big part of their present, right now. Huge save on Brady Tkachuk. If the Sens score next, this thing gets a lot more tense.

8:47 p.m. It’s fine ... right?

So, it’s fine. Right? It’s probably fine. Blowing breakaways happens. The power play going cold happens. Yes, Auston Matthews took that shot on the hand. Yes, getting outshot 8-4 in the second period when you had been stuffing the Sens in a locker for four periods isn’t ideal. Hey, the Senators are not a team with big scoring ability, so being down 1-0 after two periods in a series where you’re up 3-1 is fine.

But at some point, you do have to start wondering when the Leafs 鈥� with their rich history of failing to close out playoff series, stretched over years 鈥� will start to think about this, or even overthink it.

-Bruce Arthur

8:43 p.m. Leafs miss another great chance

Morgan Rielly has now saved two goals in this game.

And Steven Lorentz ups Toronto’s inability to finish breakaways by failing to finish what was more or less a 2-on-0. Temperature’s rising.

-Bruce Arthur

8:36 p.m. Leafs quiet in second period

The Leafs haven’t exactly set up camp in their own zone this period, but you could be forgiven for thinking that was the plan. On their heels, with occasional day trips to the Sens end of the ice.

-Bruce Arthur

8:30 p.m. Will Arnett on hand

Toronto-born actor and comedian Will Arnett, a proud Leafs fan, is in attendance at Scotiabank Arena for Game 5.

Arnett was shown on the jumbotron to fire up the Leafs crowd.

8:23 p.m. Familiar issues?

So the Leafs have squandered three breakaways (and nearly got a fourth), and cut one power play short before the second one came up blank. This isn’t the highest-event game, but at some point you’d hope the old habit of struggling to score in elimination games doesn’t apply here.

-Bruce Arthur

8:15 p.m. Sens strike first

The Senators had four shots on goal 鈥� literally going backwards on the shot count 鈥� and then Ottawa won a faceoff, Thomas Chabot got time to waltz into space, and his wrist shot went past a Brady Tkachuk screen and clipped Stolarz on the way in. Look, everything’s fine. But the next goal could make this feel a lot tighter than it should, if Ottawa gets it.

-Bruce Arthur

8:04 p.m. Leafs outshooting Sens

Leafs outshot the Senators 34-21 in Game 4, and are outshooting them 12-5 in Game 5, and in that period, finally took the lead in shots on goal in the series.

-Bruce Arthur

7:53 p.m. Leafs, Sens scoreless after one

One defining aspect of this series: The Senators just don’t have a lot of offensive finishers. Drake Batherson couldn’t dig a puck out in the Leafs crease on the power play, and it’s scoreless after one, despite both teams getting to the net at times.

-Bruce Arthur

7:49 p.m. Rielly hits Chabot from behind

Thomas Chabot’s playing 26 minutes a game in this series, so Ottawa wouldn’t want to lose him: he’s still on the bench, though. That was a bad decision by Morgan Rielly, who isn’t usually a hit-a-guy-in-the-numbers-into-the-boards guy, and that’s sloppy in a scoreless elimination game

-Bruce Arthur

7:43 p.m. Knies stands his ground

Go ahead, take a run at Matthew Knies after the whistle, he surely won’t send you careening through the air like you’re in a cartoon.

-Bruce Arthur

7:39 p.m. Matthews ices hand after blocking shot

Auston Matthews shouldn’t block shots with his hands for the same reason I don’t open doors with my face: that’s the moneymaker, baby. I’m kidding, partly: It would be fine for me to open doors with my face, to protect my writer’s hands.

But seriously, Matthews icing his hand on the bench isn’t great. You’re up 3-1, the Senators sometimes feel like they can’t score in an empty rink, don’t take your foot off the gas, but maybe don’t risk the hands.

-Bruce Arthur

7:34 p.m. Breakaways galore

The Leafs have now futzed three different breakaway chances: Nylander, Tavares, Matthew Knies. Give them 10 or 12 of those things, though, and Ottawa might start to regret leaving the middle of the ice wide open.

-Bruce Arthur

7:30 p.m. Bruce gives Sens some advice

The Senators may want to stop deflecting Leafs shots that are aimed at their own goalie. I’m not their coach, though.

-Bruce Arthur

7:21 p.m. Stolarz goes for a skate

God, I love it when goalies leave their crease. The further the better.

-Bruce Arthur

7:20 p.m. Leafs fans are loud

Scotiabank Arena is buzzing early in Game 5, with multiple chants heard from the sold-out crowd.

7:19 p.m. Tavares can’t bury breakaway

John Tavares with a Tavares version of a Nylander breakaway: slower, less fluid, did all the work himself, but his backhand at the end was not going to do it. Still, good work creating his own offence.

-Bruce Arthur

7:15 p.m. Teams trade chances

William Nylander dropped that potential touchdown pass 鈥� it’s amazing that he is still sneaky enough to get breakaway chances 鈥� and boyyyyy, did Anthony Stolarz and Morgan Rielly have to work to keep that puck out. Potential giant swing, avoided by the Leafs.

-Bruce Arthur

7:05 p.m. Time for a rare clinch

OK, the last time the Leafs clinched a playoff series was in Tampa in 2022. The last time the Leafs clinched a playoff series at home was 2004, against Ottawa; it was also the last time the Leafs clinched a playoff series of any kind. I know our eyes glaze over when we talk about this, but that’s one playoff series win in 21 years, and it’s astonishing. The Leafs have given themselves enough cushion in this series with the Sens that it seems very hard to imagine them not closing this out, and going to be a tougher crucible in Tampa or, more likely, Florida. For Toronto, this could both feel routine, and be exceptional. But to do it, you have to do it.

-Bruce Arthur

6:55 p.m. Leafs hoping to buck trend

The Maple Leafs have a chance to close out the series tonight, something they’ve struggled to do in the Auston Matthews era, as Kevin McGran notes.

Here’s how the core players have performed in those games, where the team is 1-12 since 2018:

6:35 p.m. Maple Leaf Square reopens

After a brief closure and evacuation, the Leafs tailgate is back on.

Scotiabank Arena announced that Maple Leaf Square was reopening to fans hoping to watch the game outdoors. The square had been evacuated half an hour earlier due to an inclement weather warning.

“The tailgate at Maple Leaf Square has now reopened,” the official arena account posted on X. “Tailgate pass holders are invited to queue at the entrance gate. We thank you for your patience.”

6:06 p.m. Maple Leaf Square evacuated due to weather

Maple Leaf square, where hundreds of Leafs fans gather to watch playoff games outside Scotiabank Arena, is being evacuated due to an inclement weather warning.

The official Scotiabank Arena account on X made the announcement at 6:06 p.m.

“Due to circumstances beyond our control, the tailgate will have to be stopped,” read a notice on the giants screen outside the arena. “Please use any available exit as quickly and orderly as possible.”

海角社区官网and the GTA have been under a severe thunderstorm watch throughout the afternoon with heavy rain and strong winds expected to roll through most of southern Ontario.

Read more聽here: Toronto, GTA under severe thunderstorm watch with risk of strong winds, large hail this afternoon

6:15 p.m. Feschuk: Time for Leafs to get it right

As they seek to close out the second playoff-series win of an era starved for playoff success, perhaps it鈥檚 understandable why the Maple Leafs have made a point of avoiding references to previous post-season shortcomings, writes Star columnist Dave Feschuk.

Every season is different, and certainly this team looks different than previous iterations of the Maple Leafs. There鈥檚 a steadier, Stanley Cup-proven hand at the helm in Craig Berube. There鈥檚 credible goaltending. There鈥檚 a commitment to a defensive philosophy that held the Senators to a combined four shots on goal in the final 40 minutes of Saturday鈥檚 Game 4. Add it up, and the thinking goes that these Leafs can鈥檛 possibly resemble those Leafs. So why even bring up the bad old days?

Read the full pre-game column here: There鈥檚 a fine line between winning and losing. Now鈥檚 the time for the Leafs to get on the right side of it

12:15 p.m. Matthews battling injury

Maple Leafs听肠补辫迟补颈苍听Auston Matthews, acknowledging he’s playing through an injury, says he’s ready for action for tonight’s Game 5.

He said whatever the injury, it’s 鈥渘ot a big deal鈥� even though it kept him off the ice for an otherwise full practice Monday.

鈥淵ou just listen to your body sometimes,鈥� Matthews said. 鈥淪ometimes you just feel like you need a little time off the ice. It’s not that big deal.

鈥淓verybody’s grinding right now. It’s that point in the season where it’s hard physical hockey. You go through different things. So it’s nothing that’s abnormal.鈥�

Matthews missed 15 games this season with an undisclosed injury, scoring 33 goals聽鈥� the lowest output of his nine-year career. He has one goal in four games against Ottawa.

When asked how he thought Matthews was after a day off, coach Craig Berube didn’t miss a beat.

鈥淩ested,鈥� Berube said. 鈥�(He played) a lot of minutes the other night in that game (he played more than 26 minutes in the overtime loss in Game 4). So just a little extra rest for him.鈥�

Matthews spent about 15 minutes on the ice at the morning skate, mostly taking passes from Max Domi and shooting from the slot.

鈥淗e works insanely hard,鈥� forward Max Pacioretty said of Matthews. 鈥淗e’s an extremely hard worker, one of the hardest I’ve seen. That’s why he’s had so much success.鈥�

12 p.m. No lineup changes

Berube said he’d go with the same lineup that lost 4-3 in overtime Saturday, and that means there’s still no room for veteran centre David K盲mpf.

鈥淚’ve liked our game, so I don’t see a reason to change it right now,鈥� Berube said. 鈥淗e (K盲mpf) is fine. It’s hard for him, for sure. But he got injured at the end of the year and that’s the situation. The team was playing well and I didn’t want to change the lineup.

鈥淚t’s not a knock against him at all. It’s just how things are looking.鈥�

11:45 a.m. Elimination game

海角社区官网can earn a series-clinching win on home ice for the fifth time in the past 30 years, following the 2004 conference quarterfinals, 2002 conference semifinals, 2002 conference quarterfinals and 2001 conference quarterfinals.

鈥淲e’re ready to go,鈥� Berube said. 鈥淕uys feel good and are anxious to play.鈥�

The Leafs are 1-12 since 2018 in elimination games.