TORONTO — The Ottawa Senators erased a 2-1 deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Saturday in Toronto, handing the Leafs a second one-goal regulation loss in the opening week despite ringing six or seven shots off iron. The defeat followed a similar winnable loss to Montreal and left the overhauled Leafs searching for chemistry in a crowded Atlantic Division.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but somebody said we had six or seven posts or crossbars. Lots of iron,” said head coach Jim Hiller. Auston Matthews scored his first of the season in the second period with a nifty downward tip of a Morgan Rielly sifter and pointed to bounces and discipline: “Some unlucky bounces, some posts, and then just got a little undisciplined at the end, and they capitalize (two seconds after) their power play, and you’re trying to chase it the last six, seven minutes to find one. We weren’t able to do it.” William Nylander echoed the captain after Linus Ullmark posted a .931 save percentage in Ottawa’s season opener, saying, “We had enough chances to win the game, there’s no question.”
Toronto generated 22 high-danger looks per Sportlogiq but was tilted back in the third after controlling the second. Ottawa lost No. 1 defenceman Jake Sanderson to an aggravated lower-body injury early in the first yet still earned a 5.01-3.26 edge in expected goals, spent more than two minutes longer in Toronto’s zone and won 64 per cent of puck battles. Two sloppy third-period stick penalties — a Kirill Marcenko high stick on Tim Stützle and a Jack Roslovic neutral-zone trip — gave the Senators power-play momentum they carried into 5-on-5 play, while Toronto’s own third-period power play and late 6-on-5 push failed to convert. “Penalty is penalty, and it’s on me,” Marchenko said. “I can play better next time in those moments.”
The Leafs also managed a scare on defence when Jake McCabe left the ice after blood seeped through his sock from an accidental slice by Jake Evans’ skate, with McCabe crediting cut-resistant socks he has worn since college for limiting the injury to a minor cut. The night also marked Travis Green’s 500th game as an NHL head coach — “Time flies when you’re having fun,” he said — and a historic matchup for Whitehorse natives Gavin McKenna and Dylan Cozens, with McKenna having once played with Cozens’ younger brother Luke. New Leafs associate coach Daniel Alfredsson added of his former club, “Wish them the best. And wish us a little bit better.”
Toronto will hold an optional skills practice Sunday before hosting the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. Despite the frustration, the room pointed to progress on puck movement and the power play. “I think we can score five at least or six,” Marchenko said. “Just in the first week of the season, and we will work on that, and we will just look to the future.”