The Toronto Maple Leafs got the job done against the Ottawa Senators in Game 6.
With the Maple Leafsat risk of blowing a 3-0 series lead, they beat the Senators 4-2 to make the second round for the first time since 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning and just the second time since 2004, the last time they faced the Senators in the playoffs.
At the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, Ont., Toronto took the lead against Ottawa on Thursday night off a power-play goal by Auston Matthews. William Nylander extended the lead to 2-0.
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk tipped a shot into the net to cut the lead to one entering the third period, and David Perron tied the game by banking a shot off the back of the head of Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz.
Just over a minute later, however, Max Pacioretty capitalized on some offensive zone time to take the lead back. It was his first playoff goal since 2021 with the Vegas Golden Knights. He has a goal and an assist in four games this post-season after recovering from injury issues. His last regular-season game was Feb. 8.
Despite the Senators piling on the pressure in the final minute with an empty net, Nylander scored at the other end to seal the deal.
The Maple Leafs next face the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, in the second round. The Panthers, which finished third in the Atlantic Division in the regular season, eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.
When the Leafs beat the Lightning in 2023, they faced the Panthers in the second round as well. Florida won in six games and eventually made it to the Stanley Cup final before falling to the Golden Knights.
As for the Senators, they finish their first playoff appearance since 2017, when they made it to the Eastern Conference final. Tkachuk led the Senators in scoring in this series with seven points (four goals, three assists) in six games, while Matthews led the Leafs with two goals and five helpers for seven points.
Get the
latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by
subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below
the article on THN.com.
Read the full article here