Giroux scores winner, Senators top Maple Leafs 4-2 for sixth straight victory

Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Scott Laughton (24) collides with Ottawa Senators goalie Linus Ullmark (35) and defenceman Thomas Chabot (72) as centre Tim Stützle (18) handles the puck during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Saturday, March 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

TORONTO — Claude Giroux scored the winner on a second-period power play as the Ottawa Senators topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to register their sixth straight victory Saturday night.

Jake Sanderson, David Perron and Michael Amadio, into the empty net, had the other goals for Ottawa (36-25-5). Linus Ullmark made 20 saves for the Senators, who have won seven of their last eight.

William Nylander and Auston Matthews replied for Toronto (39-24-3), which has dropped five of its last six. Anthony Stolarz stopped 21 shots at Scotiabank Arena.

The Senators now trail their provincial rival by four points in the Atlantic Division standings. Toronto sits third after the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Boston Bruins 6-2, while fourth-place Ottawa occupies the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot.

Ottawa pushed in front with the score tied 2-2 on a man advantage when Giroux’s centring pass to Ridly Greig glanced off the stick of Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev and past Stolarz.

Nylander, Sanderson and Matthews — on a play where Ullmark badly mishandled the puck — scored goals 2:06 apart earlier in the second before Perron knotted the game less than four minutes later.

Ottawa won the season series 3-0-0 against the Toronto after picking up 3-0 and 2-1 triumphs earlier in the schedule.

TAKEAWAYS

Senators: The club is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since its run to Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference final.

Leafs: Matthews skipped the morning skate following Friday’s team off-day. The Toronto captain entered with just three goals in his last 16 games before scoring Saturday when Ullmark gifted the centre his 24th of the campaign.

KEY MOMENT

Toronto defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson took an interference penalty on Ottawa forward Matthew Highmore with an attempted reverse hit to set up Giroux’s power-play goal that put the visitors up 3-2.

KEY STAT

Senators centre Tim Stutzle extended his career-high road point streak at eight games.

UP NEXT

Senators: Visit the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

Leafs: Host the Calgary Flames on Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 15, 2025.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press