Senators beat Maple Leafs to sweep regular-season series
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If you’re hankering for a Battle of Ontario in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, maybe simmer down a bit.
The Ottawa Senators on Saturday night completed a regular-season, three-game sweep of the Maple Leafs, emerging with a 4-2 victory at Scotiabank Arena.
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The Senators outscored the Leafs, who have one win in their past six games, 9-3 in the three meetings in 2024-25.
The Leafs were handed an opportunity to draw even late in the third period when Sens defenceman Artem Zub was penalized for delay of game. But the Leafs couldn’t register a shot on goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Michael Amadio scored into an empty net in the final seconds.
The Leafs lost Scott Laughton in the third period after the centre took a stick to the eye area. Laughton went to the dressing room.
“He got a stick in the eye,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said. “He’s fine. He will get some stitches.”
After the Leafs had just 12 shots on goal through two periods, Berube made line changes. William Nylander and Mitch Marner flanked Laughton, while John Tavares was between Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson. The trio of Auston Matthews centring Matthew Knies and Max Domi remained intact.
None of the changes bore fruit.
The Senators outshot the Leafs 10-5 in the first period and it ended without a goal.
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That changed in a big way in the second period.
Ottawa held a 3-2 lead by the time it was done, twice erasing a one-goal Leafs lead before going ahead at 14:08 when Claude Giroux scored on a power play.
Nylander broke the ice at 6:49 with his 37th goal when he cut through the Sens, moved to his backhand and slipped the puck under Ullmark.
The Leafs didn’t have much time to enjoy the lead, as Jake Sanderson picked his spot on Stolarz to tie the game at 7:57.
Less than a minute later, Matthews restored a Toronto lead thanks to a flub by Ullmark. The goalie came out of his crease to play the puck, only to have it bounce to Matthews, who put it into an open Ottawa net. It was Matthews’ 24th goal and first in four games.
The Senators responded at 12:16. Stolarz anticipated a shot by David Perron, but slid too far to his right and Perron didn’t have trouble finding the top corner.
Giroux’s go-ahead goal came after his pass to Ridly Greig hit Chris Tanev and skipped past a surprised Stolarz. Oliver Ekman-Larsson was serving the first minor of the game, for interference, when Giroux scored.
Some 24 seconds after the Giroux goal, Greig and Laughton dropped the gloves. Neither player landed many punches, but Greig had the slight edge.
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