Bold take: the Maple Leafs blew a big lead and allowed Ottawa to seize control in a decisive 5-2 home loss. If you’re new to this, here’s what happened, in clear, beginner-friendly terms, with a few extra details to help you see the bigger picture.
In Toronto on Saturday, the Maple Leafs conceded four goals in the second period and were unable to rebound, letting the Ottawa Senators grab the win at Scotiabank Arena. The final score stood 5-2 in favor of Ottawa, who moved to 29-22-8 on the season.
Key performers for Ottawa included Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens, each lighting the lamp twice, with Thomas Chabot also getting on the scoresheet. Cozens added an assist as well. For Toronto, Morgan Rielly and William Nylander found the net, but the Leafs (27-24-9) extended a winless skid to three games. Their last victory came February 4 against the Edmonton Oilers, just before the Olympic break.
The scoring sequence began early in the first period when Rielly notched his eighth goal of the year, giving Toronto a brief lead. From that point, Ottawa took control, firing 19 straight shots and scoring three unanswered goals to surge ahead by the middle of the second period.
Nylander did cut the deficit to 3-2, but Batherson answered with his second goal of the night less than two minutes later. Toronto challenged the goal for offside and lost the challenge, which shifted momentum again. On the ensuing power play, Cozens scored his second goal, chasing Leafs goalie Joseph Woll after 23 saves on 28 shots.
Anthony Stolarz replaced Woll and shut the door, stopping all 12 shots he faced. For Ottawa, Linus Ullmark stopped 21 shots to secure the victory.
A notable moment came early in the third period when tempers flared in front of Stolarz, sparking a melee that produced 28 penalties, including a 10-minute misconduct to Max Domi.
Context and takeaways:
- Maple Leafs: Toronto continued its rough patch with slow starts. After an early 1-0 lead, they were outshot 16-0 for the remainder of the first period, a concerning pattern reflected in their season-long numbers.
- Senators: Ottawa earned their first win over Toronto since their playoff series last spring, a surprising turn given the Leafs’ strong start to the season. The two teams will meet again twice more this season, both games slated for Ottawa.
Key moments you shouldn’t miss:
- The ceremony honoring Olympians inside the first TV break drew cheers for Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Nylander, even though Nylander didn’t return with hardware. The audience reaction to Auston Matthews’ gold-medal moment was more mixed, with some boos initially before support swelled. Brady Tkachuk, the Senators captain and Matthews’ U.S. Olympic teammate, drew similar attention when shown on the arena screens.
Important stat to note:
- Matthews extended his career-long assist streak to six games with the setup on Rielly’s first-period goal. Interestingly, he’s also been goalless for seven straight games despite his high-scoring pedigree.
Upcoming games:
- Senators visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
- Maple Leafs host the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.
This recap reflects The Canadian Press coverage published on February 28, 2026.
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