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The Maple Leafs say otherwise.

鈥淲e’re not looking in the rearview mirror. It’s about the next day, the next game,鈥� said Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who has lived through nine post-seasons of disappointment.

鈥淚t’s not supposed to be easy,鈥� said star winger Mitch Marner, who’s been through all of it with Matthews. 鈥淭his is never supposed to be easy. We knew it was going to be a challenge.鈥�

But Chris Tanev is new to the post-season experience in Toronto.

鈥淲e’re up three-two in a series,鈥� said the defenceman. 鈥淪o I think we’re fine.鈥�

The Leafs were all reading from the same songbook after Ottawa got itself back into the series in taking Games 4 and 5. The Leafs talked about learning from their mistakes, about getting traffic in front of Linus Ullmark again, about being a good road team, about having already won in the post-season in Ottawa.

鈥淭hroughout each period, each game, each series, there’s tons of momentum swings and shifts,鈥� said Tanev. 鈥淯sually whoever deals with those the best will win periods, win games and series.鈥�

The Leafs in the Matthews-Marner聽era are now a woeful 1-13 in games in which they had a chance to eliminate an opponent.

For now, the momentum feels like it has swung Ottawa’s way.

Thomas Chabot scored in the second period, Dylan Cozens scored short-handed in the third, and both Tim St眉tzle and Brady Tkachuk scored into the empty net.

鈥淚t gives our team belief,鈥� said Ottawa coach Travis Green. 鈥淥ur comfortability level of playing in the playoffs has gotten better. I don’t think a lot of people gave us a chance in this series. But we’re a confident group.鈥�

Ullmark posted the shutout to set up Game 6 Thursday in Ottawa’s lively Canadian Tire Centre, a game that will test the mettle of the Maple Leafs, a team that has yet to show any sort of killer instinct.

鈥淚 don’t think there’s any panic in this room,鈥� said Matthews. 鈥淲e won three. They won two. It’s the ups and downs of the playoffs. We’ve been here before. We’re just going to put our best foot forward, go into the next game with confidence. We’ve been a good road team all season.鈥�

Stolarz vs. Ullmark

Ullmark was the better goaltender in Game 5, without question.

If Ottawa has figured anything out, it’s how to beat Anthony Stolarz, who has let in goals from 40 feet or longer in each of the last three games, including Chabot’s second period opener. He was screened on both Chabot’s goal and Jake Sanderson’s OT winner from the blue line in Game 4.

鈥淭hat’s playoff hockey,鈥� said Stolarz. 鈥淵ou look at that Florida-Tampa game, two or three goals from the blue line. It comes out of commitment to blocking shots, fighting through screens. Right now, they’re doing those little things to get there. It’s up to us to battle through that and try to do the same thing to their goal as well.鈥�

Special teams battle

Neither team scored on the power play, though the Senators scored short-handed when they intercepted a Matthews pass to Marner. Cozens finished it off for a 2-0 lead.

鈥淚 didn’t see the guy there,鈥� said Matthews. 鈥淗e picked it off. That’s on me. I’ve got to make a better play.鈥�

The Leafs’ power play started the post-season strongly, but has only one goal in nine chances since Game 3, and has given up two shorties.

鈥淲e’ve got to be more direct,鈥� said Berube. 鈥淥ur power play was not direct enough in shot volume and getting pucks through. And that third period, that power play (surrendering Cozen’s goal) hurt us.”

The Leafs haven’t scored a power-play goal in their last 30 opportunities in series-clinching games.

The top line

It wasn’t a great night for Marner, Matthews and Matthew Knies, who were collectively minus-12. Matthews admitted earlier in the day he’s playing through an injury that he said wasn’t 鈥渁 big deal.鈥� During the game, he was spotted icing his left hand after blocking a shot.

Berube chose his words carefully as he critiqued a weak night.

鈥淣ot enough speed through the neutral zone with that line,鈥� said Berube. 鈥淭hey were a little bit late on things and didn’t create enough stoppages in the offensive zone. It was one-and-done too much for me with that line.鈥�

Historically speaking

Only four teams in NHL history have come back from a three-games-to-none deficit. The Senators are halfway to being the fifth.

Teams that, like the Leafs, started a series at home and were up three games to two, have won best-of-seven series 217 times and lost 52 times.

While any team would love to be up three games to two in a best-of-seven, Ottawa has the momentum.

鈥淚t’s playoff hockey,鈥� said Leafs coach Craig Berube. 鈥淭here’s a lot of ups and downs. We need composure. We’ll stay poised. We’ll figure out some things, what we have to do better next game. We’re up 3-2 in the series. We’re a confident group. We’re going to Ottawa where we’ve won a game already.”