OTTAWA – Simon Benoit wasn’t certain the way to react.
The Maple Leafs defenceman had simply flung a puck on aim by means of visitors in extra time.
He discovered himself in the midst of a wild celebration seconds later.
Benoit scored at 1:19 of the additional interval Thursday as Toronto topped the Ottawa Senators 3-2 to take a commanding 3-0 lead within the groups’ first-round playoff collection — and transfer inside one victory of one other triumph within the Battle of Ontario.
“I simply lifted each of my arms and didn’t transfer,” the gritty blueliner mentioned following the most important aim of his life. “I noticed all these guys coming in the direction of me. Good feeling.”
Leafs captain Auston Matthews received an offensive zone faceoff — Toronto once more dominated within the circle — earlier than Benoit’s shot discovered its well beyond Linus Ullmark.
“It’s at all times nice when a man like that scores an enormous aim,” Leafs head coach Craig Berube mentioned. “Benny’s performed extraordinarily effectively for us defensively, and been laborious to play in opposition to and does all these issues.
“Very blissful for him.”
Matthews, with a aim and an help, and Matthew Knies additionally scored for the Leafs, who’re up 3-0 in a collection for the primary time since sweeping Ottawa in 2001. Anthony Stolarz made 18 saves for his eleventh straight victory courting again to March 20.
Claude Giroux, with a aim and an help, and Brady Tkachuk replied for the Senators. Ullmark stopped 17 photographs.
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The Leafs took Sport 1 by a 6-2 scoreline earlier than a 3-2 OT victory two nights later after blowing an early two-goal lead. The Senators, who performed their first residence playoff recreation because the 2017 Jap Convention ultimate following a glacial rebuild, host Sport 4 on Saturday seeking to stave off elimination.
“One factor I learn about our workforce is we’re not gonna lay down,” Ottawa head coach Travis Inexperienced mentioned. “We’re not gonna go away. We’re gonna be able to play.”
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Benoit joined the Leafs final season as a hard-nosed depth choice, however has unlocked a few of his offensive potential — together with the setup on Max Domi’s Sport 2 winner — within the playoffs after a troublesome begin to 2024-25.
The 27-year-old from Laval, Que., and his girlfriend welcomed their first baby again in September. The adjustment, nonetheless, was troublesome for Benoit, partly as a consequence of a scarcity of sleep. He credited Toronto’s decision-makers with permitting him to work by means of that — together with some on-ice struggles — and steadying life away from the rink.
“It was an extended course of this season,” Benoit mentioned. “After Christmas, I feel I managed to handle all of the issues that have been taking place at residence. It’s the most effective factor that might occur for me.
“My child’s simply implausible and I’ve an exquisite girlfriend.”
The Senators, in the meantime, have been proper there the final two video games, however now face the prospect of their season ending this weekend.
One space Ottawa must enhance in a collection with razor-thin margins lies within the faceoff dot, the place Toronto received 63 per cent of the attracts Thursday.
“Their timing is a bit of bit higher than ours proper now,” Giroux mentioned. “We have been fairly good all yr … we’ve simply received to maintain grinding.”
Largely quiet by means of two contests and 40 minutes, Matthews buried his first aim of the collection on the third interval’s contemporary ice off a slick, one-touch Marner feed with Ullmark wanting the fallacious approach.
The Leafs didn’t give the Senators a lot room because the clock ticked down till Tkachuk took a cross from Giroux off the push and ripped his second previous Stolarz’s blocker with 8:38 left in regulation to ignite a raucous Canadian Tire Centre.
“I actually believed at that time we have been gonna win the sport,” Tkachuk mentioned. “It simply felt prefer it was meant to occur.”
Giroux opened the scoring on a two-man benefit at 1:38 of the second when he fired a shot by means of a Tkachuk display screen for the Senators’ first lead of the collection.
Toronto went to the ability play later within the interval and equalized when Knies’ centring cross went off the skate of Senators ahead Shane Pinto and dribbled previous Ullmark.
The evening, nonetheless, would finish with an unlikely hero.
“Within the playoffs, it’s not at all times the identical guys,” mentioned Benoit, who added his second-biggest aim was in all probability in minor hockey.
“Fairly thrilling.”
LONG WAIT
Leafs winger Max Pacioretty suited up for the primary time in 75 days. The 36-year-old final performed Feb. 8 earlier than getting shut down with an undisclosed damage. Pacioretty took the spot of Nick Robertson.
BEEN A MINUTE
Senators followers waited 2,891 days between residence playoff video games. The final post-season date within the nation’s capital got here on Could 23, 2017, when Ottawa beat Pittsburgh 2-1 to power Sport 7 within the East ultimate. Pittsburgh took that one in double extra time earlier than successful its second straight Stanley Cup.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed on April 24, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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