Senators hold off Maple Leafs, get 4th win in 5 games

OTTAWA -- Five players scored for the Ottawa Senators, who held off the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.

Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Warren Foegele, Michael Amadio and Ridly Greig scored for the Senators (36-24-9), who have won four of their past five games and are 13-3-2 in their past 18. Jordan Spence and Tyler Kleven each had two assists, and Linus Ullmark made 12 saves.

“It was a great game,” Ottawa coach Travis Green said. “We just stuck with it, stuck with our game, didn’t change.”

The Senators moved to within three points of the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

“Obviously, a massive win,” Stutzle said. “Nobody underestimated them. We came out hard. We didn't really like the first 10 minutes, but I think then we just kind of settled in.”

Easton Cowan had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs (29-29-13), who have lost three straight (0-2-1). They lost 4-3 in overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.

Starting for the second night in a row, Joseph Woll made 38 saves. Expected starter Anthony Stolarz took a puck to the throat in warmups and was taken to a hospital for precautionary imaging.

“It’s tough on Joseph for sure,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “Played last night, now he’s got to prepare and everything. And I think he did a great job, but the team’s got to respond better than that. I thought in the first period we did. First was good, it was a good period. … And second period, not very good.”

Berube said that Stolarz was to meet the team at the plane heading back home to Toronto and was out of the hospital. He did not have an update on Stolarz’s condition. 

“Obviously, it's not ideal circumstances, but as a team, you’ve got to rally around them and we’ve got to play for 60 minutes,” Toronto forward John Tavares said. “I saw (Stolarz) before he headed out and seemed to be doing OK. I think everything is pretty precautionary, but yeah, tough when circumstances like that happen.”

Anthony Kervin, a 26-year-old Ottawa native, was the emergency backup goalie for the Maple Leafs. He last played for Arnprior of the Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League. 

“You’ve got to prepare for anything,” Woll said. “You never know, it’s still my job to be ready. So yeah, just kind of jumped into where I was if I was playing and just kind of hit play.”

Stutzle gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead on the power play at 14:58 of the first period, beating Woll from the right face-off dot to the short side.

“I think it's a big rivalry,” Stutzle said. “I think (in the) playoffs last year we played (a) pretty good series, and obviously they did too, and they're a good team, they're large, good players, and obviously they’re in the standings a little behind us (13 points behind Detroit). But like I said, we can't underestimate anyone, and that's what we didn't do tonight.”​

The Senators appeared to extend the lead twice before officially making it 2-0 at 9:09 of the second period. 

Drake Batherson had a goal waved off because Stutzle collided with Woll before the puck crossed the line, with Stutzle being called for interference at 6:07. Later, a point shot from Artem Zub was tipped by Greig past Woll at 8:26, but the goal was disallowed because of a high stick.

Forty-three seconds later, Giroux made it 2-0 at the side of the net when he backhanded the rebound of his own tip attempt.

“We have a lot of confidence in the way we play and the players that we have in this locker room,” Giroux said. “So when you have that confidence, you don't have to be the hero. You don't have to do the extra play. You’ve just got to trust your game.”

Foegele extended the lead to 3-0 at 17:53. After intercepting a clearing attempt by Philippe Myers, he scored from above the right circle with a shot that deflected off Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit.

“We just didn’t sustain our game enough,” Tavares said. “Our energy has to be a whole lot better. … We still got back in the game, and we just couldn’t seem to make the push we needed.”

Tavares responded for the Maple Leafs just 21 seconds later to make it 3-1 at 18:14, finishing a give-and-go with Cowan.

“We’re not playing the way we’re capable of,” Tavares said. “And we’re in the position we’re in. But I just try to approach it one day at a time and appreciate the opportunity to play with the guys in the locker room.”

Cowan brought the Maple Leafs within 3-2 at 4:52 of the third period. He pounced on the rebound of a Benoit shot and scored over a sprawling Ullmark from just outside the crease.

“It’s tough,” Cowan said. “I mean, every team goes through adversity, so you just got to stick together, stay positive.”

Amadio put the Senators up 4-2 at 9:41, scoring on a tap-in from the left side after Spence’s shot banked off the end boards.

Greig restored the three-goal lead by making it 5-2 at 13:11. He took a pass from Dylan Cozens in the slot, went forehand to backhand and scored to the glove side.

NOTES: Senators defenseman Dennis Gilbert left the game with 4:19 remaining in the third period with an undisclosed injury after taking a hit along the end boards from Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Green said Gilbert will miss some time. … Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly did not play because of a lower-body injury and is day to day.