The Toronto Maple Leafs’ first Battle of Ontario meeting with the Ottawa Senators of the season ended with the kind of result that leaves plenty to sort through. Ottawa walked out with a 3-2 win, and the Leafs spent the night chasing the game after a late first-period opener, a second-period response, and a third-period dagger.
Thomas Chabot got the Senators on the board in the final minutes of the opening period. Auston Matthews answered with his first goal of the season, redirecting Morgan Rielly’s shot.
Kirill Marchenko then scored his first goal as a Maple Leaf on the power play, only for Michael Amadio to finish a two-on-one and send the game into the third tied 2-2. From there, Stephen Halliday delivered the winner 9:46 into the final period, tucking in a deflected puck that caught Sergei Bobrovsky off guard.
For Toronto, the loss came with a few obvious sore spots.
Bobrovsky was one of them. He stopped 26 of 29 shots in the defeat, finishing with a .897 save percentage.
Through his first two games with the Maple Leafs, he now carries a 3.06 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage. Even with a defense that has given him work in front, the 38-year-old is going to need to be better if Toronto wants to stay afloat.
John Tavares also had a mixed night. He picked up an assist on Marchenko’s power-play goal, but finished minus-1 with three shots on goal in 18:03 of ice time.
His night at the dot was rough as well, with a 35% faceoff win rate after losing 13 of 20 draws. He also logged 4:54 on the Leafs’ top power-play unit, which managed just one goal on four chances.
That power play sits at the center of the frustration. Toronto’s top unit features Matthews, William Nylander, Tavares, and new additions Marchenko and Darren Raddysh, but the group went 1-for-4 on the night, with Marchenko’s second-period goal as the lone conversion.
Matthews said afterward, “You want to make good on those chances. I didn't like the last power play we had, with a few minutes left, to try to tie the game.
I thought it was a little bit loose, ... we got a lot of weapons there. So just trying not to overpass the puck and just try to move it quick but get some shots on that and try to attack as much as possible,”
The Maple Leafs now have a two-day break to clean things up before hosting the Nashville Predators on 6th October at the Scotiabank Arena.
In Other News...
Senators Showed Something Bigger Than A Road Win In Toronto
Toronto spent most of the night looking like the better team, driving play for long stretches and creating the kinds of chances that usually lead to a home win. The Maple Leafs were especially strong early, with Easton Cowan continuing to flash encouraging underlying numbers, even as the fourth line had a harder time keeping pace and the defensive usage from coach Jim Hiller produced a few unusual ice-time choices.
Still, Ottawas 3-2 win in Toronto was about more than a road result. The Senators weathered the pressure, waited for the game to tilt and then seized control when the Leafs level dropped in the third period, a reminder that the gap in effort and execution can change fast in this matchup. For Ottawa, it was the kind of finish that can mean something beyond two points, because it showed a group willing to absorb the push and answer when the game opened up. [Read more 🡒]
DeBrincat Just Put Detroit's Biggest Contract Decision Into Focus
Jake Sandersons lingering injury has added another layer of concern to the Senators blue line, and the timing is especially awkward with the team still on the road. Ottawa expected to be without him for at least two games, and the defenseman has already headed back to the city for testing, leaving the club to manage a lineup hole while it waits for more clarity on the next step.
If the absence stretches beyond the short term, the Senators may have to look hard at their depth options to keep the back end steady. With one regular unavailable and another injury situation developing elsewhere, Ottawa is being pushed into the kind of roster juggling that can quickly expose how thin the margin is when a key defender is out. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Home Opener Comes With Early Pressure Against Ottawa
The Senators walk into TD Garden with a little early-season momentum after opening their schedule with a win over Toronto, while Boston is back home trying to steady itself after a loss to Minnesota. The Bruins are coming off a two-game road trip and will use their home opener to try to sharpen things up in front of their own crowd, while Ottawa gets an immediate measuring stick against a divisional opponent that already looks like it expects to contend.
For Ottawa, this is the kind of game that can tell you a lot about where a young season is headed. The matchup comes with the usual early urgency of a home opener on the other side, but it also carries the kind of division weight both clubs will feel right away as they settle into the schedule and start seeing each other more often in the months ahead. [Read more 🡒]