Six consecutive victories on home ice bring the Toronto Maple Leafs (2nd in Atlantic Division) to a domestic encounter against the Ottawa Senators (7th in Atlantic), who have not won consecutive games since Jan. 1-3.
A two-game losing skid (0-2-0) got snapped for the Ottawa Senators (21-23-3), who banked their third victory in the past nine outings (3-6-0) following a 2-1 triumph over the New York Islanders at Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday. Shane Pinto (12 goals, 19 points this year) got the scoring rolling at the end of the first period, while Claude Giroux (16 goals, 42 points) banked the eventual winner during power play three-and-a-half minutes into the following frame, making it 2-0 before the Isles got a snipe back 12-and-a-half minutes later. Ridly Greig (1 point), Ottawa’s No. 28 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, made his league debut with the primary assist on Giroux’s marker and recorded a game-high eight shots in 13:46 of ice time.
Goalie Cam Talbot (12-13-1 on the season with a 2.90 GAA and a .905 save percentage) stoppe d all 14 shots faced on Wednesday before leaving the game eight minutes into the second period with a lower-body injury. Anton Forsberg, who is 8-10-2 for the rolling year with a 3.30 GAA and a .901 save percentage, made 21 saves in relief. He has posted a 1-3-3 career record against the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 3.52 GAA and a .908 save percentage. The Senators, meanwhile, are 8th in least goals scored per game this season (2.85), 13th in most goals conceded on average (3.26), 4th in power play (26.4%) and 10th in penalty kill (81.1%).