Batherson and Cozens each scored twice in a game that the Senators controlled from start to finish.
The Ottawa Senators got back on the winning track in Toronto on Saturday night, crushing the Maple Leafs 5–2 in a game that was not as close as the score would appear.
Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each scored twice for the Senators, who moved to within five points of the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Leafs, meanwhile, were dominated for most of the night and remain nine points off the pace. Ottawa set the tone early, outshooting Toronto 16–2 in the first period and never let up.
Linus Ullmark made 21 saves for the Senators, who outshot Toronto 40–23 overall. Joseph Woll was chased from the game after allowing five goals on 28 shots, while Anthony Stolarz made 12 saves after replacing him late in the second period.
Morgan Rielly opened the scoring for the Leafs, beating Ullmark between the legs with a wrist shot on the power play less than three minutes into the game.
Ottawa answered midway through the first when Thomas Chabot took a nice pass from Brady Tkachuk in the high slot and beat Woll with a wrist shot that may have deflected off a stick in front.
Early in the second period, Cozens gave Ottawa a 2–1 lead, tapping in a room-service rebound that landed right on his stick blade.
Ten minutes later, Batherson buried a snapshot off the post and in to make it 3–1, but William Nylander quickly responded to cut the deficit to 3–2.
That was as close as the Leafs would get.
After a neutral-zone turnover by Matthew Knies, Batherson scored his second of the night to give the Senators a 4–2 advantage. It appeared Knies had knocked the puck into his own zone, but Toronto challenged the play for offside. The challenge was unsuccessful, resulting in a delay-of-game penalty.
Cozens made them pay, scoring on a wrist shot on the power play to complete the scoring and send Woll to the showers. The third period was uneventful, save for a weird little line brawl that started when Anthony Stolarz and Ridly Greig got into it as they did last season.
The Senators will continue their road trip in Edmonton on Tuesday, then in Calgary on Thursday. After that comes the NHL trade deadline on Friday, when decisions will have to be made about whether to bolster the roster for the stretch run or stand pat.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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