Ottawa Senators Hang On To Win Wild Battle Of Ontario Game Over Toronto Maple Leafs

In their second game of the season, the Ottawa Senators defeated their provincial rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-4 in the shootout, after holding a 3-0 lead in the second period. Toronto was playing their third game in four days, after losses to the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings. It was Ottawa's second game of the season. They beat the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday the 8th, before travelling to Toronto in time to practice before heading to the Toronto Blue Jays game. 

Last season, the Leafs won three of five games against the Senators, including one in the shootout. The Senators had not won a game in the Air Canada Centre since before the last lockout, a losing streak of six games. Games between the two rivals are always hard-fought, though tonight the animosity was contained to a few scuffles after whistles and Ottawa's Alex Chiasson responding to a shove from Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf with a punch to the face. 

The first period featured lots of fast back-and-forth play, with shots favoring Toronto (16-10 at the end of the period), though both teams had several great chances. The most important play of the period came with only one minute left, when Brad Boyes took a hooking penalty against Senators' winger Milan Michalek, which carried over into period two.

The Senators kept working on their first power play of the season to start the second period, and 46 seconds in Kyle Turris, Ottawa's top-line center, found himself all alone in the high slot, free to receive a pass from his captain, defending Norris trophy winner Erik Karlsson. His snap shot beat James Riemer to open the scoring, with right winger Mark Stone getting the secondary assist. That goal was quickly followed by two more for the visitors, both on the power play. First was a breakaway goal from Alex Chiasson, who had just jumped out of the penalty box after serving an elbowing penalty. Jake Gardiner took a hooking penalty during Toronto's first power play of the game, leading to some four-on-four hockey, followed by the second Ottawa power play and Chiasson's goal. Michalek put his team up 3-0 after P.A. Parenteau was penalized for an illegal check to the head, with Karlsson and Turris drawing the assists. The Senators scored three power play goals in one game for the first time since 2013. 

Mike Babcock's Maple Leafs were not out of the game yet, however, with Joffrey Lupul putting them on the board 2:09 minutes later on their first shot of the period off a neutral zone turnover. Tyler Bozak brought the Leafs within one five and a half minutes left in the period. Both teams nearly scored again, with Stone hitting a post and Boyes missing a wide open net on the power play. 

Just over three minutes into the third period, Toronto tied the game on their third power play of the night. Craig Anderson went down early and Peter Holland beat him high ten seconds into the penalty kill. Ottawa regained the lead about six minutes later when Stone deflected a laser beam of a shot from Mike Hoffman, with Karlsson picking up his third assist of the night. the Calder Trophy finalist has been fantastic with three assists and a goal through two games, as if to show those predicting a sophomore slump just how wrong they will be. The drama did not end there for the two teams, with the hosts tying the game on a Daniel Winnik goal missed by the referees, then confirmed via video review. They nearly won the game in the final seconds when Bozak found himself staring at an empty net, but he was unable to get a shot away because Ottawa's Mark Borowiecki fell onto his stick. 

Regulation solved nothing, leading to a 3-on-3 period that began calm and controlled and then was very much not. After a few great chances at both ends, Mika Zibanejad got called for hooking Holland and the Leafs had a two-minute 4-on-3 power play. With no goals, we returned to the familiar shootout to settle the score, and though the Maple Leafs scored the first goal, they could not score any more. Ottawa hung on to win the game on Hoffman's shootout goal, the first of his career. 

It was a big win for the Senators, especially considering their absymal record in the ACC, and fans were understandably happy.

Running through a wedding full of leafs' fans screaming SENS WIN SENS WIN

— alexa's bun (@elektra91) October 11, 2015

Congratulations #sens and thank you for the gift on the eve of #thanksgivens beating the #leafs, #ward5 #Ottawa pic.twitter.com/jinA2uy7Ys

— Eli El-Chantiry (@Eli_ElChantiry) October 11, 2015

The Senators will take on the Canadiens in their home opener in the lone game tomorrow, Sunday October 11th, at 7:00pm EDT. Mike Condon will start for Les Habitants, while Anderson is expected to play again for Ottawa. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs will have a chance to rest, with no games until Friday October 16th against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who lost to the New York Rangers for the second night in a row today.