Senators captain Brady Tkachuk makes feelings known about Battle of Ontario playoffs clash vs Auston Matthews' Maple Leafs

Brady Tkachuk led the Ottawa Senators to their first playoff appearance since the 2016-17 NHL season. They finished with a 45-30-7 record and faced off against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.

The Maple Leafs and the Senators met in the Battle of Ontario for the first playoff series between the two Atlantic Division rivals in 21 years. The Leafs beat the Senators in six games to advance to the second round.

Tkachuk, who got the taste of NHL playoff hockey for the first time, opened up about going up against the Maple Leafs, captained by Auston Matthews, on the Leafs Nation show.

"They have such a great team," Tkachuk said. "We knew going into it that it was probably the deepest team that they've had in the last couple of years. We knew it was going to be a dog fight right from the opening puck drop, all the way to the final whistle. Of course, there's a lot of time this summer to think what you could have, should have, would have.

"Games two, three, and four were all in overtime and just a one-shot difference. I think what's great about it is there's so many learning lessons within that I know I've taken and I know it's going to make me not just a better player, but a better captain as well."

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Tkachuk scored seven points in the six games played between the two sides. Three of his four goals came in a losing effort in Games 2, 3 and 6.

Brady Tkachuk opens up about fans expectations of the Battle of Ontario

The Battle of Ontario was a major fixture during the early 2000s. The two teams met in the playoffs four times in five years from 2000 to 2004, with the Leafs winning the first three and the Sens taking the series in 2004.

Brady Tkachuk was also quizzed about the intensity of the matchup and how the playoffs felt different from a regular-season matchup.

"It was 100% different," Tkachuk said. "Of course, there's a lot of talk going into it. I think it was great for both cities to kind of relive those memories, but I think we're living in a different age and era of hockey where there wasn't going to be fights and that's not how their team was built.

"That's not really how our team is built. It's going to be really hard competitive battles every single shift, but there's not going to be any line brawls and going toe-to-toe."

Ottawa swept Toronto in the three games during the regular season last year. They would hope for similar results and even deeper run into the playoffs this time.