Ottawa Senators extend streak to six with Battle of Ontario win

Senators centre Tim Stutzle (18) clears the puck as Maple Leafs forward Scott Laughton (24) and Ottawa teammate Thomas Chabot (72) collide with goaltender Linus Ullmark in the second period. Photo by Christopher Katsarov /THE CANADIAN PRESSArticle content

SENATORS 4, LEAFS 2

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Accountor

Article content

Nothing is more satisfying for the Ottawa Senators than a victory in the Battle of Ontario in enemy territory.

Article content

The Senators skated onto one of the National Hockey League’s biggest stages and extended their winning streak to six games with a solid 4-2 decision over the arch-rival Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

Article content

Michael Amadio, Claude Giroux, David Perron and Jake Sanderson did the scoring for the Senators, while netminder Linus Ullmark improved his record to 6-0-1 in his past seven starts with a strong effort on Saturday night.

Article content

“They had some pushes, but for the most part we were bending and not breaking,” Sanderson told TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson. “We’re finding different ways to win this year. We can play the skill game, we can play a tough game and we’re ready for anything.”

Article content

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

Article content

The Senators are 7-0-1 in their past eight games, marking the first time they’ve collected points in eight straight since 2014. They also swept the season series against the Leafs.

Article content

“There is only one place that beats winning on Saturday night and that’s home but this feels pretty darn good,” said Ullmark, who made 20 stops.

Article content

With Ottawa trying to make the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in eight years, the Senators continue to inch closer to making the dream a reality.

Article content

Winger Ridly Greig, who made himself famous in this rivalry by slapping the puck into an empty net a year ago, had one called back with 75 seconds remaining because he was offside at Toronto’s blue-line.

Article content

The Leafs had started to push the pace midway through the third period with Ottawa holding a one-goal lead. The Senators were also forced to kill off a late delay-of-game penalty to defenceman Artem Zub, but did a solid job.

Article content

RIVALRY RENEWED

Article content

While the Maple Leafs haven’t missed the playoffs since 2015-16, the Senators haven’t been to the post-season since a trip to the NHL’s Eastern Conference final in 2017, so it has been a while since these two were competitive.

Article content

People would love the Senators to sneak past the Tampa Bay Lightning into third place in the Atlantic Division to set up their first playoff series against the Maple Leafs since 2004, but that looks doubtful.

Article content

The only focus for the Senators is making the playoffs. Nothing else matters.

Article content

The Senators and Leafs combined for five goals in the second period of Saturday’s game. Ottawa had to battle back twice after Toronto took one-goal leads, but did so.

Article content

A fortunate deflection off the skate of Toronto defenceman Chris Tanev resulted in Giroux’s 22nd career goal against the Leafs at 14:07 of the second. That came on a power play and gave the Senators the lead for the first time.

Article content

Perron had tied it up 2-2 at 12:16 of the second period with his fourth goal in seven games in March. He knows what it takes to win at this time of year and you can see it in his game.