Maple Leafs 3, Senators 0
TORONTO -- Frazer McLaren scored at 3:14 of the first period and Ben Scrivens turned aside 34 shots to earn his first shutout of the season as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-0 on Saturday before a crowd of 19,517 at Air Canada Centre.
The Maple Leafs also got third-period goals from Tyler Bozak and John-Michael Liles.
In a game between provincial rivals often referred to as the Battle of Ontario, Senators goaltender Craig Anderson stopped all but two of 28 shots with Toronto's third goal going into an empty net.
It was the first meeting of the season between the Maple Leafs (9-6-0) and Senators (7-6-2). Each won three of their meetings last season.
The Maple Leafs who nursed their one-goal lead since early in the first period took a 2-0 lead at 8:32 of the third period as Bozak had a shot from the point by Dion Phaneuf deflect off his leg past Anderson. Bozak's fifth goal of the season survived a video review.
It was a tame affair for a rivalry game, but a skirmish broke out behind the Maple Leafs goal after Mika Zibanejad was called for goaltender interference at 13:55 after tripping Scrivens who had just made a save on Kyle Turris. The Leafs put the puck in the Ottawa goal during the power play but it was ruled that it had gone in after the whistle during a scramble in front of the net.
Daniel Alfredsson hit the post during a Senators power play with about two minutes to play. But Liles scored his first of the season into an empty net at 19:22.
The second period was livelier than the first. Ottawa had a 19-10 edge in shots and a 2-1 advantage in power-play situations in the period but could not get the tying goal. Scrivens' saves included one on a wrist from the faceoff circle to his left by Derek Grant at 13:07. During their first power play of the period, the Senators put on the pressure and probably came closest when a deflection skittered past the post to the left of Scrivens.
Toronto took the lead 3:14 into the first period on McLaren's first goal as a Maple Leaf, a knocking home a 13-footer as he was falling after a shot from the point by Mark Fraser after taking a pass by Jay McClement from the corner. Toronto had a 7-5 advantage in shots in a close-checking first period.
NOTES: The Maple Leafs honored their 1963 Stanley Cup-winning team before the game. Toronto won the Cup in 1962, '63 and '64 and again in 1967 but not since then. ... The Senators were playing for the first time since defenseman Erik Karlsson was lost for a season when he suffered a lacerated Achilles' tendon Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. ... Other injured Senators included Jared Cowen (hip), Guillaume Latendresse (neck), Milan Michalek (lower body), Peter Regin (upper body) and Jason Spezza (back). ... Colin Greening and Patrick Wiercioch were healthy scratches. ... Maple Leafs goalkeeper James Reimer played his second full game since he suffered a knee injury against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday. ... Other Maple Leafs injuries include Joffrey Lupul (arm), Carl Gunnarsson (hip), Mike Brown (shoulder) and Matt Frattin (knee). ... Mike Komisarek and David Steckel were Toronto's scratches. .... The Senators visit the New Jersey Devils on Monday and the Maple Leafs travel to the Florida Panthers.
