The Senators will not go away within the Battle of Ontario.
Linus Ullmark made 27 saves for the primary playoff shutout of his profession as Ottawa edged out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 on Tuesday to chop the deficit within the groups’ first-round matchup to 3-2.
Thomas Chabot and Dylan Cozens gave the Senators a 2-0 lead earlier than Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk added empty-net objectives for Ottawa, which as soon as once more staved off elimination after choosing up a 4-3 extra time victory in Recreation 4 at house Saturday. Tkachuk and Stutzle added two assists every for three-point performances.
Anthony Stolarz stopped 15 pictures for the Leafs.
Solely 4 NHL groups have come again from a 3-0 deficit to win a sequence — the 1942 Leafs, 1975 Islanders, the 2010 Flyers and the 2014 Kings.
Recreation 6 goes Thursday within the nation’s capital at Canadian Tire Centre.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) makes a save towards Ottawa Senators’ Drake Batherson (19) throughout second interval NHL playoff hockey motion in Toronto on Tuesday. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
Toronto, which beat Ottawa 4 occasions in a five-playoff span within the early 2000s, dropped to 1-13 in potential sequence clinching video games within the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner period courting again to the 2018 playoffs. That lone victory got here in a first-round overcome the Tampa Bay Lightning two years in the past.
The Leafs took the opener of this sequence towards its provincial rival 6-2 earlier than back-to-back 3-2 extra time victories pushed them to a 3-0 lead. The Senators, in the meantime, picked up their first playoff victory since 2017 in Saturday’s extra-time determination that stored their season going.
Ottawa opened scoring
Ottawa opened the scoring at 3:46 of Tuesday’s second interval on a Chabot level shot that discovered its well beyond Stolarz by means of visitors following an offensive zone faceoff win for the defenceman’s first-ever playoff purpose.
Toronto — with loads of post-season baggage, together with a blown 3-1 sequence lead within the 2021 playoffs towards the Montreal Canadiens — appeared disjointed because the interval wore on earlier than the house facet lastly began to push inside a tense Scotiabank Enviornment.
Ullmark needed to be sharp on a Marner probability in tight earlier than Senators ahead Fabian Zetterlund hit the facet of Stolarz’s web with the goaltender scrambling.
Followers crowded into Maple Leaf Sq. in Toronto to observe Recreation 5 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. (Robert Krbavac/CBC)
Leafs ahead Steven Lorentz then had a terrific alternative on a 2-on-0 with Calle Jarnkrok, however was unable to complete right into a yawning cage.
Stolarz made a giant cease on Tkachuk from the slot early within the third to maintain Toronto down by only one.
The Leafs acquired an influence play later within the interval when Ridly Greig needlessly tackled Marner alongside the boards.
The Senators, nevertheless, broke the opposite manner and Cozens scored his first at 8:24 when he took a move from Adam Gaudette on a 2-on-1 and fired previous Stolarz as Ottawa scored short-handed for the second time in as many video games towards a five-forward man benefit.
Matthews, who hit the submit in OT on Saturday with the sequence on his stick, discovered iron once more with 5 minutes to go in regulation earlier than Stutzle sealed it into the empty web with 2:51 to play.
Ottawa Senators’ Brady Tkachuk (7) tries to tip the puck previous Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) as Chris Tanev (8) retains shut throughout first interval NHL playoff motion in Toronto on Tuesday. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
Ottawa had an incredible probability two minutes into the primary when Toronto defenceman Morgan Rielly needed to clear a puck off the purpose line.
Giroux performs his a centesimal playoff sport of NHL profession
John Tavares acquired a breakaway for the house facet after intercepting a move, however Ullmark was there to smother his effort.
The Leafs went to the facility play and Matthews had a few beauty, whereas the Senators’ first man benefit noticed defenceman Chris Tanev tie up Drake Batherson in tight with Stolarz at his mercy.
Matthews suited after skipping Monday’s apply to get some further relaxation. The 27-year-old famous person centre missed time earlier this season with an undisclosed upper-body harm.
Senators ahead Claude Giroux, a member of that 2010 Flyers workforce that erased a 3-0 gap towards the Boston Bruins, performed the a centesimal playoff sport of his NHL profession. The 37-year-old entered with 29 objectives and 55 assists for 84 factors throughout 99 post-season contests.
