Senators top Maple Leafs for first home victory
OTTAWA -- The Ottawa Senators finally picked up their first home win of the season by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday night.
Derick Brassard and Mark Stone each scored twice for the Senators, while Nate Thompson and Ryan Dzingel added goals. Erik Karlsson had three assists to give him six in the last two games.
James van Riemsdyk, Auston Matthews and William Nylander scored for the Leafs.
Craig Anderson made 28 saves in the Senators' net while Frederik Andersen stopped 29 shots for the Leafs.
Anderson's shutout bid was broken by a van Riemsdyk deflection from the slot at six minutes of the third. Only 2:34 later, Matthews beat Anderson with a shot that slipped in off the goalie's pad.
Stone restored the Senators lead seven seconds later, breaking in behind the Leafs' defense and whacking his own rebound behind Andersen.
Nylander pulled the Leafs close again on a power play goal at 12:52, taking a shot from the top of the right wing circle that beat Anderson low to the stick side.
Brassard fired a top shelf rocket past Anderson at the 16:30 mark to put Ottawa ahead 5-3, and Stone added an empty netter at 18:21.
The Senators scored twice in the second period to hold a 3-0 lead entering the final 20 minutes.
Dzingel picked up his third of the season by extending his stick to deflect a Karlsson point shot at 14:20. Brassard's fifth came with 12.1 left until the intermission, and again Karlsson drew an assist by sending Bobby Ryan in on the left side. Ryan then found Brassard, who beat Andersen with a shot off the glove.
Thompson's first as a Senator was the the only goal of the opening period, coming at 12:01. The veteran center brought the puck into the Leafs zone down the right side, circled the net then put a shot into the crease that set up a scramble. A couple seconds later, Thompson entered the fray and pushed the puck past Andersen.
NOTES: Senators 19-year old C Logan Brown picked up his first NHL point when he assisted on Nate Thompson's first period goal. The Senators first round pick in 2016 was playing in his third game. ... Senators D Mark Borowiecki missed his second game with an upper body injury. ... Senators F Zack Smith missed his first game with an upper-body injury. ... Toronto hosts Los Angeles on Monday with Ottawa continuings its five-game homestand versus the Kings on Tuesday.