Short-handed Senators do enough to beat Leafs - BERITAJA

OTTAWA – Despite resting six players, the Ottawa Senators wrapped up their regular play pinch a 3-1 triumph complete the Toronto Maple Leafs Wednesday nighttime to caput into the post-season riding a high.

The nonaccomplishment ensures Toronto (32-36-14) will decorativeness successful the bottom-five allowing them to clasp their first-round prime successful the upcoming draft.

Toronto, which fell acold short of expectations, vanished the play having mislaid their last 7 games (0-6-1).

Drake Batherson, Warren Foegel and Dylan Cozens scored for the Senators (44-27-11), while James Reimer stopped 19 shots against his erstwhile team.

Dennis Hildeby, who made 35 saves, was successful extremity for Toronto aft he was recalled from the American Hockey League’s Toronto Marlies Tuesday. William Nylander scored the lone extremity for Toronto.

The Leafs made it 2-1 midway done the 3rd erstwhile Nylander backhanded a bouncing puck from the slot to hit Reimer.

Cozens added an empty-net extremity pinch 5 seconds remaining.

Toronto was outshot 12-6 successful the 2nd and Ottawa doubled its lead to make it 2-0 aft 40 minutes.

The Leafs generated a mates chances but thing Reimer couldn’t handle.

Ottawa made it 2-0 pinch 1:28 remaining successful the play erstwhile Foegele snapped a changeable from conscionable wrong the bluish statement that hit Hildeby debased mitt side.

Ottawa opened the scoring pinch a power-play extremity early successful the first erstwhile Claude Giroux threaded a walk done postulation to Batherson retired beforehand for his 33rd of the season.

With Ottawa short-handed precocious successful the first, Nikolas Matinpalo flipped a puck precocious to outpouring Foegele successful alone, but Hildeby made a awesome save.

Takeaways

Senators: Despite missing galore regulars the Senators dominated astatine some ends of the ice.

Leafs: The Leafs looked for illustration a squad playing done the motions aft a disappointing season.

Key Stat

With a power-play extremity successful the first Ottawa owns a power-play percent of 23.8 for 2025-26 which ties their highest successful a play successful squad history, besides 23.8 successful 2024-25.

Up Next

Maple Leafs: Nothing until training camp.

Senators: Open the playoffs connected the roadworthy against the Carolina Hurricanes. Date TBD.

This study by BERITAJA was first published April 15, 2026.