Six different Maple Leafs score as Toronto turns Ottawa’s fast start into a 6-1 rout

Seventy seconds wiped away Ottawa’s opening punch

Ottawa did land the first clean blow. Tim Stützle opened the scoring at 6:35 of the first period on a backhand, with Andre Burakovsky and Christian Kyrou drawing the assists. But the value of an early road lead disappears quickly when the reply is immediate, and Toronto gave the Senators almost no time to settle into theirs. Jake McCabe tied it at 7:45, finishing a play set up by John Tavares and Jack Roslovic.

That response changed the shape of the night more than the raw score did in the moment. Instead of spending the rest of the period protecting an advantage, Ottawa was pulled back to even and then behind when Tavares scored at 19:09 from William Nylander and Gavin McKenna. From there, Toronto’s statistical edge kept showing up in plain ways: a 35-14 advantage in shots, a 58.5 percent success rate on faceoffs, and 13 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky on the 14 pucks that reached him.

A parade of contributors, not a one-line story

What made Toronto’s attack persuasive was not one superstar taking over the sheet by himself, but how often a different Leaf appeared at the center of the next important play. Roslovic extended the lead to 3-1 at 4:49 of the second period, with Tavares and Auston Matthews collecting assists. Zack MacEwen pushed it to 4-1 at 16:53 off an Easton Cowan setup, and before the period closed Morgan Rielly added another at 19:13 from Darren Raddysh and Matthews.

By the time Matthews scored at 6:10 of the third, assisted by Roslovic and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the game had become a showcase for Toronto’s spread-out production. Six different Maple Leafs scored the six goals. Tavares, Roslovic and Matthews each finished with a goal and two assists, while Nylander, McKenna, Cowan, Raddysh and Ekman-Larsson all chipped in. That is the kind of scoring map that is hard to defend because the threat does not stay in one place long enough to be managed by one matchup.

Ottawa’s openings went unused

The Senators will look first at the categories that left them too little room to build on Stützle’s early marker. They managed 14 shots all night, went 0-for-4 on the power play, and lost the faceoff count 31-22. Toronto also gave them chances to stay involved, taking seven penalties for 33 minutes, but Ottawa could not turn those extra opportunities into a second goal.

Our take: Ottawa’s clearest path to improvement is not mysterious here. A team that finishes with 14 shots, 15 giveaways and only two takeaways is usually spending too many possessions without creating a follow-up chance. The faceoff deficit mattered too; starting without the puck against a team that eventually rolled to 35 shots makes the climb steeper. None of that erases the quality of Stützle’s opener, but one good finish could not carry a full night once the rest of the offense stalled.

Our take: Toronto won big, but not flawlessly

This was a convincing Toronto result, and the Leafs earned the freedom to enjoy its better features: six scorers, three forwards with three points, a strong night in the circle from Tavares and Matthews, and only one goal allowed. The second period in particular put the game out of reasonable reach, with Roslovic, MacEwen and Rielly scoring before the third-period capper from Matthews.

Still, a 6-1 score should not hide the less tidy parts of Toronto’s game. The Leafs were charged with 18 giveaways and 33 penalty minutes, and Ottawa still received four power plays despite failing to cash them in. That is the kind of sloppiness a lopsided score can forgive in one game and expose in another. Toronto’s attack looked deep and sharp; its next step is making sure the puck management and discipline match the finishing.

Scoring moments

1. 1st · 6:35

   Tim Stützle Goal (1) Backhand, assists: Andre Burakovsky (1), Christian Kyrou (1)

2. 1st · 7:45

   Jake McCabe Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: John Tavares (2), Jack Roslovic (1)

3. 1st · 19:09

   John Tavares Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: William Nylander (1), Gavin McKenna (1)

4. 2nd · 4:49

   Jack Roslovic Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: John Tavares (3), Auston Matthews (2)

5. 2nd · 16:53

   Zack MacEwen Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Easton Cowan (2)

6. 2nd · 19:13

   Morgan Rielly Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Darren Raddysh (1), Auston Matthews (3)

7. 3rd · 6:10

   Auston Matthews Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Jack Roslovic (2), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (2)