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“It undoubtedly pisses us off a little bit bit,” centre Shane Pinto says of the ocean of blue Leaf followers on the Canadian Tire Centre.
Printed Jan 25, 2025 • Final up to date 47 minutes in the past • 4 minute learn
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Senators ahead Tim Stützle celebrates his first-period objective in opposition to the Maple Leafs at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night time. Picture by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Picture /Getty Pictures
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SENATORS 2, MAPLE LEAFS 1
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A lucky bounce made an enormous distinction for the Ottawa Senators within the newest spherical of the Battle of Ontario Saturday night time.
It doesn’t matter how all that issues is what number of and a bounce off centre Shane Pinto’s knee that landed within the Toronto Maple Leafs’ web turned out to be the winner in Ottawa’s 2-1 victory on the Canadian Tire Centre.
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Unique articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, meals evaluations and occasion listings within the weekly e-newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Workplace.Limitless on-line entry to Ontario Chronicle and 15 information websites with one account. Ontario Chronicle ePaper, an digital duplicate of the print version to view on any machine, share and touch upon.Each day puzzles, together with the New York Instances Crossword.Assist native journalism.
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Pinto’s ninth objective of the Nationwide Hockey League season landed behind Toronto goalie Joseph Woll at 10:47 of the third interval, and a powerful effort by backup Anton Forsberg in web was sufficient to safe two enormous factors in opposition to the Leafs.
Tim Stutzle additionally scored for the Senators.
“I really just went to the net, (Matthew HIghmore) found a way to hit me and it just hit off my knee. It was nice to get one of those,” mentioned Pinto, who was involved the Toronto bench may problem for a kicking movement.
The Senators had been surrounded by a sea of blue Toronto jerseys with a sellout crowd of 18,818 available in the one go to by the Leafs to Ottawa this season.
“It’s always tough. It always fires the boys up for sure,” PInto advised Hockey Night time in Canada’s Kyle Bukauskas earlier than the sport. “It’s just another hockey game, but it definitely pisses us off a little bit.”
This was a bodily battle and Auston Matthews had a quiet night time for Toronto due to a powerful effort by Pinto in a shutdown function.
SHUFFLING THE DECK
Senators head coach Travis Inexperienced switched all of his ahead traces earlier than the puck was dropped in a bid to create extra offence.
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It didn’t assist that the Senators had been with solely 11 forwards from the halfway level of the primary interval. Veteran winger Nick Cousins left the sport with a leg damage after a collision with Leafs rookie Jacob Quillan.
Senators winger Nick Cousins retains the burden off his left leg as he’s assisted to the bench space by teammates following an damage within the first interval of Saturday’s NHL recreation in opposition to the Maple Leafs. Picture by Justin Tang / Ontario Chronicle
Cousins needed to be helped to the dressing room.
“He’s going to be out for a while,” Inexperienced mentioned.
The Senators might need to recall a ahead from their American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville on Sunday to face the Utah Hockey Membership.
The potential for the return of centre Josh Norris shouldn’t be dominated out as a result of he was a full participant within the morning skate on Saturday.
The adjustments up entrance didn’t result in rather more scoring, however the Senators created alternatives and compelled Woll to make good stops. He robbed Drake Batherson point-blank early within the second interval.
By means of 40 minutes, the Senators and Leafs performed to a 1-1 tie.
“Outstanding. That was a hard-fought win. Both teams played well,” mentioned Inexperienced. “The key is we found a way to win. There are going to be a lot of games like this down the stretch where we’ve got to dig in and find a way.”
The excellent news was the Senators’ drought of 147 minutes and 53 seconds ended on the facility play at 10:43 of the primary interval, when Stutzle fired the puck previous Woll.
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That was solely the Senators’ second objective with the person benefit in eight video games, however it got here as a reduction after they had been shut out in back-to-back losses in opposition to the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins.
It was no shock to see Forsberg make his second straight begin in web, and he made the mandatory stops.
“We played a strong team game. We stuck with it, and we got a bounce in the end, but good teams get bounces,” mentioned Forsberg, who made 28 stops. “We didn’t cheat the game and we came up with the win.”
He had additionally been stable in opposition to the Bruins on Thursday and had performed fairly stable in opposition to the Leafs in 9 earlier appearances. He moved his file in opposition to them to 3-4-3 with a .905 save share and a 3.41 goals-against common.
Matthew Highmore of the Senators skates with the puck in opposition to Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs in the course of the second interval of Saturday’s NHL contest at Canadian Tire Centre. Picture by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Picture /Getty Pictures
BATTLE SCARS
The most effective wager for the Senators was to attempt to take the group out of the sport early. That wasn’t the case. Bobby McMann opened the scoring for Toronto with 16:14 left within the first interval on the second shot that Forsberg confronted.
“It was a huge win,” mentioned Stutzle. “We haven’t been scoring a lot but tonight showed if we play the right way defensively, and stick with it, we’re going to get rewarded.”
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That wasn’t the case the final time the Senators confronted the Leafs on the town was on Feb. 10 final season, when Ottawa scored a 5-3 victory.
That one is difficult to neglect as a result of Ottawa ahead Ridly Greig sealed the victory by firing a slapshot into an empty web. Toronto defenceman Morgan Rielly was so upset with the act he punched Greig within the head and earned a five-game suspension.
Greig had a wry smile as he spoke earlier than the sport.
“It ended in a dramatic way, but it’s in the past. I think we’ve all moved on,” Greig mentioned. “It’s probably good for the game. A lot of people hated it, a lot of people loved it, and it’s probably good for the rivalry.”
IT’S HAMMER TIME
Veteran defenceman Travis Hamonic returned within the nick of time for Ottawa.
Ten video games after he injured a knee in a contest on Jan. 3 in opposition to the St. Louis Blues, Hamonic returned to the lineup in opposition to the Leafs.
Hamonic mentioned he resumed skating 10 days in the past and felt good. He took the place of the injured Nick Jensen, who left Thursday’s loss late. It’s a nagging damage that Jensen has been coping with for some time
The hope is Jensen will have the ability to play later within the coming week.
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