Late-game incident may see Toronto defenceman suspended
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The Ottawa Senators will probably lose the playoff battle, however they’ve undoubtedly gained this 12 months’s Battle of Ontario.
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Whereas coach Sheldon Keefe forewarned his Maple Leafs at all times see the perfect aspect of the Sens, irrespective of how low their standing, a sloppy effort from his staff early within the match was the distinction.
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A 5-3 win for Ottawa, enjoying significantly better since its teaching change to Jacques Martin and settling the entrance workplace state of affairs, gave it the season sequence, 3-1, outscoring Toronto 18-12 in its first such general triumph in 5 years.
There have been fireworks on the finish when Ridly Greig needlessly slapped within the empty web clincher to rub it in. An enraged Morgan Rielly delivered a excessive cross verify to the top as Greig celebrated. That was a serious and sport misconduct with probably league self-discipline to return.
The Sens are on a run of 5-1-1, although nonetheless on the backside of the Atlantic Division
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With Mark Giordano out and Conor Timmins coming down with an premature sickness, the Leafs’ lack of depth on defence was uncovered, whereas they didn’t get a single energy play likelihood to Ottawa’s two. Toronto did end with its finest gamers on for a 6-on-5 that simply missed on a few possibilities.
Of their first sport in 10 days for the reason that all-star sport and their bye week, the Senators fell behind on the 3:45 mark.
Auston Matthews ended an eight-game aim hunch towards Ottawa, a staff he’d owned in his first 4 years within the league, one-timing a Mitch Marner cross after the latter circled the web to attract opposition consideration. It was Matthews’ league-high forty second help.
Goalie Joonas Korpisalo was beneath stress the remainder of the interval, however a Max Domi aim was efficiently challenged when residence video noticed Noah Gregor offside, then the Finn denied John Tavares his fourth aim in as many video games twice on the doorstep.
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That Sens momentum was sustained when Marner was knocked off the puck within the impartial zone and Claude Giroux transformed the following 3-on-1 with a rebound.
Ottawa opened the second interval exploiting William Lagesson’s rust, catching he and accomplice Simon Benoit and sending Vladimir Taresenko to the breakaway aim.
The groups then traded good deflection objectives, Matthew Knies together with his first since Dec. 27, additionally towards Ottawa, with Marner and Matthews helping. Marner is now inside 200 assists of tying Borje Salming’s franchise file of 620.
However the Sens utilized the forecheck once more, organising Shane Pinto’s tip in entrance of Martin Jones.
Josh Norris then knocked down a clearing cross at centre and bulled to the web for a two-goal lead getting into the third interval, minimize to 1 when Nick Robertson arrange Domi within the slot. That was simply Domi’s second aim since Christmas, whereas Tyler Bertuzzi’s skid is now at 17 video games, with only one in his previous 31.
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Keefe was juggling his defence within the two days previous to the sport because it turned identified 40-year-old Giordano was too banged as much as play with a decrease physique harm. That ought to’ve been a gap for Timmins, however he was too sick to journey. That opened the door for Lagesson, who’d not performed since Dec. 29.
Maxime Lajoie was known as up from the Marlies as a precaution, shifting centre David Kampf to injured reserve after lacking his third straight sport with an undetermined harm.
Lagesson was a fourth-round decide of the Oilers 10 years in the past, in an ongoing search to seek out common work. Saturday was his 82nd NHL sport, equal to 1 full common season and his first begin since Dec. 29.
“It’s been just a little grind, staying prepared on a regular basis,” he stated.
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After he picked up the Leafs when Ilya Samsonov stumbled badly in late December, Jones had been on the dropping finish a couple of occasions as Samsonov regained kind.
“Jones has performed very well for us and we have to preserve him concerned,” Keefe stated of resting Samsonov. “He bought us by means of a troublesome time frame and wishes to stay a part of issues right here.”
The Leafs are off till Tuesday when the St. Louis Blues go to.
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