GAMEDAY: In much tamer Battle of Ontario, Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs

Ottawa Senators (7-7-0) at Toronto Maple Leafs (9-5-2)

TV: TSN 4, 5. Radio: TSN 1200 AM

TIME: 7 p.m. Tuesday

Odds: Senators +125, Toronto -150

SKIRMISH OF ONTARIO? 

Remember the real Battle of Ontario?

Players would get charged up. Fans would get crazy. The players didn’t like each other; the fans may have liked each other even less. There’d be lots of hitting, some fights (in the stands and on the ice). There was animosity. Anger. It was must-see hockey. Every time.

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There was Darcy Tucker. Chris Neil. Tie Domi. Zdeno Chara. Did we mention Darcy Tucker? Leafs fans booed Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson every time he touched the puck. The good old days.

It’s a much milder, gentler rivalry these days.

Twenty-one years ago, Senators coach Travis Green, then an NHL player, found himself in the middle of it.

On March 4, 2003, a bit more than seven minutes into the third period, Green was being assessed a charging penalty for a hit on Senators defenceman Shane Hnidy. Before going to the penalty box, he skated toward the Ottawa bench and pointed toward Neil. Tucker launched himself at Neil, fists first.

The fans in the then-Corel Centre went nuts as Neil, who was on the bench, and Tucker went at it. Tucker, who then fought Hnidy, was given 42 minutes in penalties — three misconducts, two fighting majors and a minor for instigating. Enraged Leafs coach Pat Quinn slammed a stick behind Toronto’s bench.

“Rivalries, in general, a lot of times come from playoff hockey,” Green said Monday. “The Ottawa-Toronto playoff rivalry was pretty intense back then. Being in the same province, there is a bit of a rivalry. When you’re with Ottawa and you play Toronto, I’m assuming — I know that was the way we were in Toronto — it was an exciting game to look forward to.”

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PINTO SLIDES BACK IN

While Green didn’t confirm centre Shane Pinto would return, the player himself said he’d be back for Tuesday’s game; it will also be his 24th birthday.

Asked about Pinto, who has missed eight games, Green said: “He’s a good hockey player, a two-way guy, he’s good on faceoffs. His game is still on the incline. We’ve seen spurts we see what kind of player he can be.”

“It was a faceoff play versus New Jersey (Oct. 17), I tweaked something,” Pinto said. “I tried to play a couple of games on it. I felt like I needed to give it a few weeks to heal; I didn’t want it to be nagging me all year, that would have been tough. I feel like I’m back to 100 per cent.”

LINE JUGGLING

It looks like the Senators will start Tuesday’s game with centre Josh Norris between Brady Tkachuk and Ridly Greig, and Tim Stutzle between Drake Batherson and Claude Giroux. It’s something the Senators had looked at going back to after the 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders last Thursday.

Said Green: “I felt like we needed a different look. The Norris line had some good games, but I didn’t like their game for a couple of games in a row. We tried it at the end of the Islanders game. I liked the look of it, I liked it in practice.”

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QUESTIONS FOR LEAFS

Forwards William Nylander and Max Domi skipped Monday’s practice, but the Leafs said both are expected to play against Ottawa. It should be noted, though, Nylander and Domi were given the “maintenance day” following a full day off for the team.

It seems highly unlikely captain Auston Matthews, who looked good in Saturday’s optional skate, will play versus the Senators. He didn’t practise Monday. If he misses the game, it will be his fourth straight one sidelined.

Defenceman Matt Benning was placed on waivers, which would clear the way for defenceman Jani Hakanpaa’s return this week.  Hakanpaa played in two games with the Toronto Marlies on an LTIR conditioning loan.

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THE QUOTE

“Playing the Leafs, it’s a big rivalry. We’ll have our energy, we’ll have our jam and we’ll be ready to go.”

• Senators centre Shane Pinto

THE LINEUPS

OTTAWA

Forwards

Tkachuk/Norris/Greig

Giroux/Stutzle/Batherson

Gregor/Pinto/Amadio

Cousins/Gaudette/MacEwen

Defence

Sanderson/Zub

Chabot/Jensen

Kleven/Hamonic

Goalies

Ullmark/Forsberg

TORONTO

Forwards

Knies/Domi/Marner

McMann/Tavares/Nylander

Robertson/Holmberg/Dewar

Lorentz/Kampf/Reaves

Defence

Rielly/Ekman-Larsson

Tanev/McCabe

Timmins/Benoit

Goalies

S