Leafs get past Senators 3-0
Posted February 16, 2013 9:58 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ben Scrivens stopped 34 shots for his first career shutout as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the injury-ravaged Ottawa Senators 3-0 on Saturday night.
Scrivens was making his second straight start since incumbent James Reimer suffered a knee injury in Monday night’s 5-2 win over Philadelphia. The 26-year-old Albertan has certainly been solid as Reimer’s replacement, having stopped 96 of the 100 shots he has faced.
Fraser McLaren, Tyler Bozak and John-Michael Liles had the goals for Toronto (9-6), which earned its fifth win in six games overall and delighted an Air Canada Centre gathering of 19,517 by improving to 3-4 at home.
Ottawa (7-6-2) dropped to 2-5 on the road this season despite outshooting Toronto 34-28 in the first of five matchups this season between the provincial rivals. The Senators have now dropped six of their last eight games.
Saturday’s contest was Ottawa’s first since losing Norris Trophy-winning defenceman Erik Karlsson to a season-ending Achilles injury in Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh. In 14 games this season, Karlsson had a team-high six goals and his 10 points were second in team scoring after last year establishing career highs in games (81), goals (19), assists (59) and points (78).
Ottawa is also minus forward Jason Spezza (back) and came into Saturday’s contest having lost 47 man-games to injury already this season.
McLaren had the lone goal of the first when Mark Fraser’s wrist shot from the point appeared to bounce off McLaren in front and past Ottawa’s Craig Anderson at 3:14. It was McLaren’s first of the season and first with Toronto.
Ottawa controlled play in a scoreless second, outshooting Toronto 19-10 and twice having 3-on-1 advantages. The Senators also had a pair of power-play chances but couldn’t put a puck past Scrivens at any time.
Bozak’s goal at 8:32 of the third gave Toronto some much-needed breathing room. Captain Dion Phaneuf’s pass deflected in Bozak for his fifth of the season. Liles cemented the victory with an unassisted empty-net goal at 19:22.
