{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Hockey League
Ottawa 6, Toronto 3
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, October 21, 2017
Where: Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
Referees: Justin St. Pierre, Brad Watson
Linesmen: Ryan Galloway, Matt MacPherson
Attendance: 17455

OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators were finally able to win a home game and finally able to protect a third-period lead Saturday night.

But along with the 6-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Canadian Tire Centre, they also received some bad news when coach Guy Boucher found out after the game that winger Bobby Ryan had suffered a broken right index finger and will be lost to the club for a month.

It is a significant loss for the Senators, who tasted victory on home ice for the first time in five tries when they took a 3-0 lead into the final 20 minutes and withstood a Maple Leafs push that twice made it a one-goal game.

Goalie Craig Anderson prevented the Maple Leafs from tying the game at fours when he stopped Mitch Marner, who was left in point-blank range by a Johnny Oduya turnover. Moments later, Derick Brassard's second goal of the night proved to be the crushing blow for Toronto.

"You don't think," Anderson said of his reaction to seeing Marner alone in front with the puck. "You just try and hope that he misses his shot. There was a little bit of luck on that one, but I owed the guys a big save after their second goal. I definitely wanted to repay them."

Mark Stone also scored twice for the Senators while Nate Thompson and Ryan Dzingel had the other goals.

Ottawa captain Erik Karlsson added three assists for the second consecutive game.

James van Riemsdyk, Auston Matthews and William Nylander replied for the Leafs.

While Anderson made 28 saves in the Senators net, Frederik Andersen stopped 29 shots from Toronto.

"(Ottawa) was almost in the Cup final last year, they competed real hard and all they've been hearing is how great the Leafs are," Babcock said. "They just showed us they're the big boys and we aren't quite ready. We turned the puck over and over. We had a whole bunch of guys who were really average tonight. We weren't up to the task and that's down to me."

The Senators had lost two of their previous home games by blowing two-goal leads and once again made it difficult on themselves in the third.

"We definitely don't (make it easy)," said Karlsson. "I think we're a really good third-period team, but we still need some work. At the end of the day, we got away with it. The pushed back but we found ways to put pucks in the net."

Stone's first of the night, which came seven seconds after Matthews had closed the gap to 3-2, was on the heels of a timeout called by Boucher. Stone was not in favor of the time out being called.

"That's why there's a coach," said Boucher.

Stone admitted it turned out to be a good move after all.

"It really settled the guys down," he said. "We realized we're still in a good situation."

The Maple Leafs, who led the league in goals heading into the night, managed nothing on 19 shots through the first two periods.

"Tonight was unacceptable," said Matthews. "They just kind of bore you to death, almost. They're really good at what they do. You get really anxious. You get the puck, try to get it in or go through guys and they all collapse on you and they're going the other way. You've got to give credit to them. They play their system really well and we weren't very good tonight."

Brassard's two goals give him six for the season. After firing home his second to give the Senators a 5-3 lead, he wound up against the end-boards glass, where he stopped and stared through at a fan that was wearing a Leafs jersey.

"Those games are a lot of fun," he said of the Ottawa-Toronto provincial rivalry. "Fans are passionate on both sides. Score two goals, and (Leafs supporters) all standing up in our own building. It's not embarrassing, but there's a lot of Leafs fans around. Just trying to have fun with that. I think there was a couple of fights that started in the stands after that. It's not to disrespect anyone, it's just to have fun with it."

NOTES: Senators 19-year old C Logan Brown picked up his first NHL point when he assisted on Nate Thompson's first period goal. The Senators' first-round pick in 2016 was playing in his third game. ... Senators D Mark Borowiecki missed his second game with an upper-body injury. ... Senators F Zack Smith missed his first game with an upper-body injury. ... Toronto hosts Los Angeles on Monday with Ottawa continuing its five-game homestand versus the Kings on Tuesday. ... Chris DiDomenico played his first game of the season for Ottawa after being recalled from the minors as an injury replacement for Zack Smith. DiDomenico was a sixth-round pick of the Leafs in 2007.
Top Game Performances
 
Toronto   Ottawa
Auston Matthews 2 Points Derick Brassard 3
Auston Matthews 1 Goals Derick Brassard 2
Ron Hainsey 2 Assists Erik Karlsson 3
William Nylander 1 Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Frederik Andersen .853 Save Percentage Craig Anderson .903
Frederik Andersen 29 Saves Craig Anderson 28
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Toronto 31 3 1-2 2-2 4 35
Ottawa 35 6 0-2 1-2 4 42
Upcoming Games
  • Ottawa will play their next game at home against Los Angeles. The Senators have a W/L % of .667 after a win and .400 after a loss.
  • Toronto will play their next game at home against Los Angeles. The Maple Leafs have a W/L % of .667 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.