The Ottawa Senators have been determined for a win.
The Senators entered play as losers of 5 of their previous six and have been booed off the ice of their final dwelling recreation towards the Tampa Bay Lightning. Whereas the red-hot William Nylander wasn’t going to make it straightforward for them, a shaky recreation from Joseph Woll and Toronto’s defence opened the door for Ottawa to leap again into the win division. Nick Robertson tied the sport midway by way of the third, however the Senators scored 3 times within the remaining ten minutes to earn a 6-3 victory. It’s tough to have a lot confidence within the Leafs goaltending, defensive play, and secondary scoring proper now.
Robertson, Nylander, and Tyler Bertuzzi have been Toronto’s goal-scorers within the shedding effort.
Three stars
1. William Nylander
Nylander wasted no time extending his season-opening level streak, scoring simply three seconds into Toronto’s first-period energy play. Auston Matthews poked the puck again to him on the face-off and Nylander promptly fired a wrist shot that beat Joonas Korpisalo on the glove aspect.
WILLIAM NYLANDER 🚨
The streak lives on! 13 video games! pic.twitter.com/zAduNhRe3h
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 9, 2023
He created one other nice likelihood for himself eight minutes in and completed with three pictures on objective within the opening interval. Nylander discovered the scoresheet once more within the second, simply three minutes after the Senators took the lead. He created a juicy rebound for Tyler Bertuzzi to pounce on, and his left-winger was in a position to capitalize. It’s good to pencil him in for some extent or two each night time.
2. John Tavares
John Tavares is among the finest gamers within the league at successful face-offs, and on occasion it pays off in a significant method. He picked up an help by successful a face-off to begin Toronto’s first energy play. He picked up one other help within the second by successful one other face-off within the offensive zone. His line has seemed like Toronto’s finest on many events this season.
3. Nick Robertson
After selecting up an help in his season debut, Robertson continued the point-per-game pattern by scoring a game-tying objective midway by way of the third. Max Domi dished a nifty saucer cross, and Robertson confirmed off his scoring contact by knocking the puck out of the air and into the online.
Backhand sauce from Domi to Robertson and we’re tied pic.twitter.com/IaKE1AvG7Z
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 9, 2023
This was his first NHL objective since Oct. 20, 2022, and it’s exhausting to not root for him in any case that he’s been by way of injury-wise. Toronto’s backside six desperately wanted some secondary scoring, and he’s delivered by way of two video games.
Shaky begin for Joseph Woll
An early shot trickled by way of Woll, and he was lucky that it stayed out of the online. He made a pleasant save on a shot from Drake Batherson on Ottawa’s first-period energy play, however later let in some extent shot that went off his pad and in.
Kubalik evens it up pic.twitter.com/WbSSBByrFy
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 9, 2023
Claude Giroux beat him one minute into the second interval, however no less than there was a troublesome cross-ice cross forward of the objective.
Claude Giroux offers the Senators the lead pic.twitter.com/XqQpd1K2jC
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 9, 2023
His workforce struggled in entrance of him on this play, however he most likely might have had this save towards Jakob Chychrun.
Jakob Chychrun makes it 3-2 pic.twitter.com/166CU79Ydj
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 9, 2023
The Leafs have been down 3-2 heading into the second intermission, and it felt like they need to have been tied at worst. I can’t fault Woll an excessive amount of for the fourth objective, because the puck went off Mark Giordano’s skate and in, however this actually wasn’t his finest effort. Ottawa’s fifth objective was good, however the sixth was solely on Woll.
Woll’s largest blooper
Giroux makes it 6-3 pic.twitter.com/Y46uq0CgVn
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 9, 2023
Powerful night time for Toronto’s second pair
What defence pair was on for Ottawa’s first objective? The Giordano-John Klingberg pair. What pair was on for Ottawa’s second objective? The Giordano-Klingberg pair. What pair was on for Ottawa’s third objective? The Giordano-Klingberg pair.
Woll might have saved no less than one of many three, however he’s additionally bailed them out loads of instances as of late. Giordano is being requested to play top-four minutes at 40, so I’ll give him a little bit of a cross. Klingberg, then again, is incomes top-four cash. He’s been horrible by way of anticipated objectives towards this season, and he’s now been on for no less than one five-on-five objective in 5 straight video games. Toronto’s had low cost offensive defencemen play on the third pair in current seasons, however while you make over $4 million, you may’t simply be an influence play specialist. The fourth objective towards went off Giordano’s skate and in, and Klingberg was on for the fifth objective towards.
The underside six rating, however nonetheless get outscored
Ottawa’s first objective got here rapidly after Domi misplaced a defensive-zone face-off. Domi was on once more for Ottawa’s second objective, and Toronto’s fourth line was caught out towards Tim Stützle’s unit on Ottawa’s third objective. The hole between the top-six and bottom-six seemed large within the first two durations, however happily, Domi’s line was in a position to make up for one with a Robertson objective within the third.
Sadly, the fourth line couldn’t do the identical, and the Leafs have now been outscored 9-0 in Ryan Reaves’ minutes this season. Robertson is proving that Marlies gamers can come up and make an influence, and it may be time to offer Bobby McMann a glance. At this level, the fourth line can’t get a lot worse.
Sport rating
Last grade: C
The Senators ranked twenty ninth within the league in five-on-five anticipated objectives share coming into play, and the Leafs have been anticipated to outplay them. Whereas Toronto seemed like the higher workforce for fairly some time, it’s too straightforward to seek out holes on this roster.
If you spend below $5 million on goaltending, you must count on a couple of tough video games sometimes, and also you shouldn’t solely have faith in a single defensive pair and two ahead strains. We noticed this workforce overcome loads of weak begins from Petr Mrazek, Jack Campbell, and Matt Murray in current seasons, however this workforce merely isn’t dominating on a nightly foundation.
What’s subsequent for the Leafs?
Staying dwelling to play the Calgary Flames on Friday at 7 p.m. on TSN.
(Prime picture: Steve Russell / Toronto Star through Getty Photos)
