Toronto – In a strong display, Linus Ullmark secured his first shutout of the season, making 27 saves as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 on Tuesday evening.
The Senators’ offense was led by Josh Norris, who, along with Tim Stutzle and Michael Amadio, found the back of the net. Artem Zub contributed to the victory with two assists.
Meanwhile, Toronto’s goaltender Anthony Stolarz had a busy night, stopping 37 shots as the team saw their winning streak of three games come to an abrupt halt.
This matchup was especially notable as it marked the first meeting since the incident involving Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly, who received a five-game suspension for a cross-check against Ridly Greig during a previous game where Ottawa had claimed a 5-3 victory on February 10.
The Maple Leafs faced challenges with their lineup, as captain Auston Matthews was sidelined for the fourth consecutive game due to an upper-body injury. Additionally, veteran forward Max Pacioretty is set to miss multiple weeks with a lower-body injury sustained in their recent 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
On a positive note for the Senators, center Shane Pinto returned just in time after an eight-game absence.
In terms of standout performances, Ullmark achieved his first shutout as a member of the Senators since joining from the Boston Bruins during the off-season. He had recently signed a four-year contract extension worth $33 million.
For the Maple Leafs, they had previously allowed 34 shots in three separate games this season before facing Ottawa, who managed to put a total of 35 shots on target by the end of the second period.
A pivotal moment in the game came when Stutzle scored early in the second period, followed shortly after by Amadio, who extended the Senators’ lead to three goals in less than a minute.
A notable statistic from the matchup is that Ottawa, which has not seen postseason play since its run to the Eastern Conference finals in 2017, has won three out of four encounters against the Maple Leafs last season in their Atlantic Division rivalry.
Looking ahead, the Senators will be hosting the Flyers on Thursday, while the Maple Leafs prepare for an away game against the Capitals on Wednesday.