Total Maple Leafs power play goals through seven playoff games last year: one. Total Leafs power play goals through two periods against the Senators in Game 1: two.

For all the concern about how the Senators might draw plenty of penalties, they ended up spending an unnecessarily large amount of time in the box. And the Leafs made them pay. Their puck movement with the man advantage was especially creative and swift. When they needed to be, the Leafs looked patient with the puck on the power play. John Tavares and William Nylander each converted with their first goals of the series.

The Senators ended the regular season with the 19th-best penalty kill and needed to be disciplined entering the series against a potent power play. A Tim Stützle second-period infraction kickstarted a flurry of minor penalties, including a Ridly Greig cross-check that was downgraded from five minutes to two.

Fans can debate the validity of those penalties all day, and they may have a point. But the Sens clearly weren’t prepared for the Leafs’ quick strikes. A third-period power-play goal by Matthew Knies was the final nail in the coffin.

Since Jan. 1, only the Vegas Golden Knights have had a better power play than the Leafs. Game 1 was a continuation of that effectiveness, highlighted by the aforementioned Knies goal and how quickly it came.

Remember, this is a Leafs team that has struggled on the power play in the playoffs. It’s literally been the difference between a series win and loss for this core at times. But against the Senators, the Leafs’ punchy power play could be a sign of good things to come.