What Happened
Stephen Halliday scored the decisive third-period goal and Linus Ullmark stopped 27 shots as the Ottawa Senators beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Saturday night. Thomas Chabot, in his first game as Senators captain, had a goal and an assist, while Michael Amadio also scored and Claude Giroux added two assists. Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko replied for Toronto, with Sergei Bobrovsky making 26 saves.
Key Details
- Halliday scored the winner at 9:46 of the third period as a penalty expired.
- Chabot opened the scoring with 68 seconds left in the first period.
- Matthews tied it 33 seconds into the second; Marchenko scored on a power play at 7:06.
- Amadio tied the game at 12:40 on a 2-on-1 with Tim Stutzle.
- Ottawa is 1-0-0; Toronto is 1-2-0 after splitting its first two games.
- Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson did not return after aggravating a nagging injury in the first period.
What It Means
Ottawa opened its schedule with a divisional win behind a balanced attack and a 27-save outing from Ullmark, while Chabot's first game as captain produced a goal and an assist. Toronto, which had already played twice, dropped to 1-2-0, with Marchenko scoring his first goal a day after being acquired from Columbus. Sanderson's early exit is a concern for an Ottawa blue line that leaned on him heavily.
What's Next
Ottawa continues its schedule after being the last team to start its season, while Toronto looks to move above .500 in its fourth game. Sanderson's status will be monitored after he left the opener.