The Ottawa Senators' first playoff run in eight years has barely started, but they're already on the brink of elimination following another 3-2 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
After setting up the overtime winner in Game 2, Toronto defenseman Simon Benoit sealed the deal himself this time, scoring at 1:19 of overtime to give the Leafs the victory and a commanding 3-0 series lead. Though not officially credited on the score sheet, his shot from the left point appeared to deflect in off Auston Matthews, who had just won the offensive zone faceoff.
Faceoffs continue to be a major issue for Ottawa. The Senators won just 37.3 percent of their draws in Game 3 and have an NHL-worst 42.8 percent success rate so far in the postseason.
But more than that, Toronto's top scorers have stepped up at every opportunity. Mitch Marner, Matthews, and William Nylander have combined for 15 points over three games. In contrast, Ottawa’s key trio—Tim Stützle, Drake Batherson, and Brady Tkachuk—has just five points combined.
Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz currently leads the NHL with a .926 save percentage and a 1.90 goals-against average. Ottawa’s Linus Ullmark, by comparison, has struggled, posting a .815 save percentage and a 3.91 GAA.
Matthews led the way for Toronto in Game 3 with a goal and an assist. Stolarz made 18 saves for the Leafs, while Ullmark stopped 17.
The scoring opened early in the second period during a 5-on-3 power play, when Claude Giroux unleashed what looked like a harmless wrist shot that found its way into the net.
The Leafs have had several lucky bounces in the past two games and got another when Matthew Knies’ pass deflected off Shane Pinto to tie the game midway through the second.
Early in the third, Marner gathered the puck behind the Ottawa net and caught Ullmark looking the wrong way. As the Senators’ goalie peered over his right shoulder, Marner had already put the puck on the tape for Matthews for an easy one-timer to give Toronto a 2-1 lead.
After that, Ottawa went flat for a long stretch—until Brady Tkachuk tied it up with a wrist shot from the left circle.
"It's disheartening, to say the least," Senators head coach Travis Green said. "I thought both teams played a hell of a game. Sometimes playoff hockey comes down to little inches or bounces. And we were on the wrong end of it tonight."
Green's team now faces the almost impossible challenge: rallying from a 3-0 series deficit with four straight wins.
"The one thing I know about our team is we're not going to lay down, we're not going to go away, we're going to be ready to play."
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is keeping the faith as well.
"I mean, this obviously isn't the situation we drew up, but make it the hardest challenge of them all. It's not too long ago I watched the Red Sox versus Yankees documentary, when they came back from 0-3. So it's been done before, and I have the belief that it can happen again."
Game 4 is set for Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre