Chabot helps Senators edge Maple Leafs in season opener

TORONTO -- Thomas Chabot had a goal and an assist in his first game as captain of the Ottawa Senators, who won their season opener by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.

“Awesome game. I thought we came out great in the first (period),” Chabot said. “They got a little bit of momentum in the second and I thought the third period was our best. We played exactly to the way we want to play, we didn’t give them anything. Our penalty kill stepped up big time. … Just happy we got it done.”

Stephen Halliday and Michael Amadio also scored, Claude Giroux had two assists, and Linus Ullmark made 27 saves for the Senators, who were the final NHL team to play their opener. 

“Just a real good game,” Ottawa coach Travis Green said. “I loved our third. … I thought Linus was outstanding, especially when we were defending tired. But just a real good third period on the road.”

Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for the Maple Leafs (1-2-0), who have had each of their first three games decided by one goal.

“We need to finish some of the chances we had. We had enough chances to win the game, no question,” Toronto coach Jim Hiller said. “Then just some careless penalties. I thought the two penalties in the third period really hurt us, took our momentum away and gave them some life and they pushed hard.”

Halliday gave the Senators a 3-2 lead at 9:46 of the third just as the Maple Leafs had killed off a penalty. Fabian Zetterlund’s shot from the left face-off dot led to a rebound that Halliday jammed in at the side of the net. 

“It’s always fun playing an NHL game when your family is there, so I’m just glad I could help the team out tonight,” said Halliday, who grew up in Ajax, Ontario, about an hour east of Toronto. “Green ran some tough practices that simulated some game-like scenarios, so I felt like we were ready tonight.”

Toronto outshot Ottawa 14-4 in the second period before the Senators responded by outshooting the Maple Leafs 16-5 in the third.

“I think we had a lot of grade-A chances (in the second),” Toronto forward William Nylander said. “Ullmark played very well as well. You have to give it to him. If he didn’t play that well, we could have had a couple (more) goals in the first and second periods.”

Chabot put the Senators up 1-0 at 18:52 of the first period when he put in a rebound at the side of the net after Shane Pinto’s shot was deflected by Giroux in the slot. 

“It was awesome, I’m not going to lie,” said Chabot, who was named captain Tuesday. “I’ve never been the guy to make it about myself, but scoring the first one of the game was pretty cool. My parents were here too in the building. It’s been a special last couple days, just happy we got the first win of the year.”

The Maple Leafs tied it 1-1 at 33 seconds of the second period when Matthews scored in the slot by deflecting Morgan Rielly’s shot from the blue line.

Marchenko scored his first goal with the Maple Leafs to put them up 2-1 on the power play at 7:06 of the second period. Darren Raddysh sent a pass from the point to Marchenko at the right side of the net, where he then went to his backhand, stepped toward the slot and shot past Ullmark’s blocker.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Marchenko, who was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. “I am happy so much but I’d be most happy if we’d win the game tonight. It’s an unbelievable feeling, how fans support me too, my teammates on the ice, but still we need to find a way to win these games.”

Amadio tied it 2-2 at 12:40. Tim Stutzle lifted a pass over a sprawling Rielly on a 2-on-1 to Amadio, who redirected it past Bobrovsky at the side of the net.

Ullmark kept it tied at 13:32, stopping Nylander with a stretching right toe save after he stepped around Dylan Cozens at the top of the right circle and deked past Jordan Spence in the slot.

“The one on Nylander was 90 percent luck,” Ullmark said, “but there’s no quit and sometimes that’s the little edge you need.”

NOTES: Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson left the game at 12:45 of the first and did not return. He missed part of training camp with an undisclosed injury. "A little bit concerned,” Green said. “We will know more in the next few days. I think Sanderson was smart enough to pull himself early enough that he didn't reaggravate it too badly, he just felt it was coming and took himself out, and that was a smart thing to do."… Forward John Tavares played his 600th game with the Maple Leafs, becoming the 26th player to hit the milestone with the team. … Nylander had an assist to become the ninth player in Maple Leafs history to record 400 with the team.