Daccord, Senators hang on for win against Maple Leafs

OTTAWA -- Joey Daccord made 33 saves for the Ottawa Senators in his first NHL win, 4-3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday.

"What an incredible feeling," the 24-year-old rookie said. "The effort the guys gave tonight was outstanding. Just a really special moment. I hope my family and friends were watching because they probably didn't know I was playing."
Daccord didn't find out he was getting his fifth NHL start until shortly before the game. Matt Murray was the scheduled starter for Ottawa, but he sustained an upper-body injury in warmups.
"I just kind of had a feeling we were going to win, pretty early on there when I found out I was playing," Daccord said. "It's not how you draw it up, but I wouldn't change it for the world."

Drake Batherson scored twice, and Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for the Senators (10-20-1), who ended a three-game losing streak.
"Away from the puck, we worked," Ottawa coach D.J. Smith said. "That's one of the best teams in the League, and if you don't bring that kind of defensive effort today, it's a big number for them."
Zach Hyman scored two goals and had an assist, and John Tavares had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs (19-9-2), who are 1-5-0 in their past six games. Michael Hutchinson allowed two goals on three shots and was replaced by Frederik Andersen, who made 26 saves.
"I thought we were doing things we wanted to," Toronto forward Mitchell Marner said. "I thought we were doing a good job of staying above them. When we were getting our shifts, down low we were really moving the puck well, spacing them out, getting guys to the net, getting second opportunities. It's just that a couple didn't fall. That's what happens."
Tkachuk gave the Senators a 1-0 lead at 6:06 of the first period with a snap shot from the right face-off dot.
Ryan Dzingel
scored five-hole on the rush seven seconds later to make it 2-0 at 6:13.
They were the second-fastest two goals in Senators history. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Vladislav Namestnikov scored four seconds apart against the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 11, 2019.
"I think we just really had a poor start," Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews said. "They were able to score a couple early, and then we were just chasing the game the rest of the time. I just think we really didn't come out very well."
Hyman found the loose puck in a scramble in front of the net and scored to cut it to 2-1 at 11:38.

Batherson one-timed
Tim Stutzle
's cross-ice backhand pass on the power play to make it 3-1 at 5:00 of the second.
"It was unbelievable," Batherson said of Stutzle's pass. "I was just hanging on the backside there, and there was, like, three sticks. I didn't expect it to come on my tape. Next thing you know, backhand sauce, landed it right on my tape, I had the open cage and fired it in. I just didn't even want to celebrate. I wanted him to celebrate how nice the pass was."
Batherson scored his second goal 53 seconds later when he chopped in the rebound of a Christian Wolanin shot to make it 4-1 at 5:53.
Ilya Mikheyev scored for Toronto at 10:01 of the third period, but Smith challenged for goaltender interference by Pierre Engvall, and the goal was overturned after video review.
Hyman one-timed a centering pass from William Nylander to cut it to 4-2 at 14:40 of the third with Andersen pulled for the extra attacker.
Tavares scored on a rebound with the extra attacker to get the Maple Leafs within 4-3 with 2:12 remaining.
"They made it difficult, they made it hard," Daccord said. "But I always knew my first NHL win would be an absolute battle, so I was prepared. I knew that they were going to give a push. Bend, don't break."
The Maple Leafs will not play again until Friday, when they host the Calgary Flames.
"We've been playing a lot of hockey lately," Matthews said. "I think it'll just be nice to kind of reset and regroup as a team."
NOTES: Smith did not have an update on Murray after the game. ... The Senators recalled Kevin Mandolese from the taxi squad on an emergency basis to back up Daccord. The 20-year-old has never played an NHL game.