Maple Leafs take 3-0 lead over Senators in Battle of Ontario

Simon Benoit wasn't sure how to react.

The Maple Leafs defenceman had just flung a puck on goal through traffic in overtime.

He found himself in the middle of a wild celebration seconds later.

Benoit scored at 1:19 of the extra period Thursday as Toronto topped the Ottawa Senators 3-2 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the teams' first-round playoff series — and move within one victory of another triumph in the Battle of Ontario.

"I just lifted both of my arms and didn't move," the gritty blueliner said following the biggest goal of his life. "I saw all those guys coming towards me. Good feeling."

Leafs captain Auston Matthews won an offensive zone faceoff — Toronto again dominated in the circle — before Benoit's shot found its way past Linus Ullmark.

"It's always great when a guy like that scores a big goal," Leafs head coach Craig Berube said. "Benny's played extremely well for us defensively … very happy for him."

Matthews, with a goal and an assist, and Matthew Knies also scored for the Leafs, who are up 3-0 in a series for the first time since sweeping Ottawa in 2001 as part of a string of four post-season victories in five years over their provincial rival more than two decades ago.

Anthony Stolarz made 18 saves for his 11th straight victory dating back to March 20.

Claude Giroux, with a goal and an assist, and Brady Tkachuk replied for the Senators. Ullmark stopped 17 shots.

The Leafs took Game 1 by a 6-2 scoreline before a 3-2 OT victory two nights later after blowing an early two-goal lead. The Senators, who played their first home playoff game since the 2017 Eastern Conference final following a glacial rebuild, host Game 4 on Saturday looking to stave off elimination.

"One thing I know about our team is we're not gonna lay down," Ottawa head coach Travis Green said. "We're not gonna go away. We're gonna be ready to play."

Benoit joined the Leafs last season as a hard-nosed depth option, but has unlocked some of his offensive potential — including the setup on Max Domi's Game 2 winner — in the playoffs after a tough start to 2024-25.

The 27-year-old from Laval, Que., and his girlfriend welcomed their first child back in September. The adjustment, however, was difficult for Benoit, in part due to a lack of sleep. He credited Toronto's decision-makers with allowing him to work through that — along with some on-ice struggles — and steadying life away from the rink.

"It was a long process this season," Benoit said. "After Christmas, I think I managed to manage all the things that were happening at home. It's the best thing that could happen for me.

"My baby's just fantastic and I have a wonderful girlfriend."

The Senators, meanwhile, have been right there the last two games, but now face the prospect of their season ending this weekend.

One area Ottawa will have to improve in a series with razor-thin margins lies in the faceoff dot, where Toronto won 63 per cent of the draws Thursday.

"Their timing is a little bit better than ours right now," Giroux said. "We were pretty good all year … we've just got to keep grinding."

Largely quiet through two contests and 40 minutes, Matthews buried his first goal of the series on the third period's fresh ice off a slick, one-touch Marner feed with Ullmark looking the wrong way.

The Leafs didn't give the Senators much room as the clock ticked down until Tkachuk took a pass from Giroux off the rush and ripped his second past Stolarz's blocker with 8:38 left in regulation to ignite a raucous Canadian Tire Centre.

"I really believed at that point we were gonna win the game," Tkachuk said. "It just felt like it was meant to happen."

Giroux opened the scoring on a two-man advantage at 1:38 of the second when he fired a shot through a Tkachuk screen for the Senators' first lead of the series.

Toronto went to the power play later in the period and equalized when Knies' centring pass went off the skate of Senators forward Shane Pinto and dribbled past Ullmark.

The night, however, would end with an unlikely hero.

"In the playoffs, it's not always the same guys," said Benoit, who added his second-biggest goal was probably in minor hockey.

"Pretty exciting."

Around the NHL

There were three other playoff games on Thursday night: 

• The Florida Panthers head home with a 2-0 series lead after they shut out the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in Game 2.
• Pavel Buchnevich's hat trick helped the St. Louis Blues take a 7-2 win in Game 3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Despite the thrashing, Winnipeg still holds a 2-1 series lead.
• Thanks to a 5-2 win at home, the Minnesota Wild took a 2-1 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights.