Claude Giroux Lifts Senators Past Leafs for Sixth Straight Win
What a night in Toronto! The Ottawa Senators pulled off another big win, taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Saturday night. And guess who delivered the game-winner? Claude Giroux, stepping up on the power play in the second period to push Ottawa ahead for good.
Jake Sanderson, David Perron, and Michael Amadio (with the empty-netter) also found the back of the net for the Senators, who are absolutely rolling right now. That’s six straight wins for them, seven in their last eight, and they’re closing the gap in the Atlantic Division standings. Linus Ullmark held things down between the pipes with 20 saves, helping Ottawa pull within just four points of their provincial rivals.
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On the other side, it’s been a rough stretch for Toronto. The Leafs have now lost five of their last six, and even though William Nylander and Auston Matthews got on the scoresheet, it wasn’t enough. Matthews, who hasn’t been his usual dominant self lately, did capitalize on a big mistake from Ullmark to get his 24th goal of the season. But with Anthony Stolarz stopping 21 shots for the Leafs, they just couldn’t keep up with Ottawa’s pressure.
That Giroux goal? It was a tough one for Toronto. A power play chance for Ottawa after Oliver Ekman-Larsson got called for interference set the stage. Giroux tried to set up Ridly Greig, but his pass deflected off Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev’s stick and into the net. A lucky bounce, sure, but that’s the way things go when a team is firing on all cylinders like the Senators are right now.
Earlier in the second period, things got wild with a flurry of goals in just over two minutes. Nylander, Sanderson, and Matthews all scored in rapid succession before Perron answered back to even things up. But in the end, Ottawa’s relentless play sealed the deal, securing a clean 3-0-0 sweep in the season series against Toronto.
Big picture? The Senators are making a serious push for their first playoff appearance since that unforgettable 2017 run to the Eastern Conference Final. Meanwhile, the Leafs, sitting third in the division, need to regroup fast with the Tampa Bay Lightning breathing down their necks.
Up next, Ottawa heads to Montreal on Tuesday, looking to keep their momentum alive, while Toronto will try to bounce back when they host the Calgary Flames on Monday.
Stay tuned—this playoff race is heating up!
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