The Toronto Maple Leafs have taken back the lead late in the third period after a goal by Max Pacioretty, assisted by Max Domi, put the Buds up 3-2 in a tense back-and-forth Game 6.
The timely Leafs goal came moments after Ottawa’s David Perron banked one off the back of Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz to tie the game at 2-2.
Perron’s goal sent the hometown crowd at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa into a frenzy and heightened the anxiety for a nervous Leafs Nation, before Pacioretty eased the pain with his late marker.
Leafs Captain Auston Matthews broke a scoreless tie on a first period power play when he slid a sneaky, perfectly placed shot past Sens goalie Linus Ullmark at the 18:50 mark.
The goal, which snapped a streak of seven goalless power plays, came on an interference penalty by Senators’ captain Brady Tkachuk.
It was Toronto’s first power-play goal in 31 opportunities in a potential closeout game.
William Nylander scored in the opening minute of the second period with a low wrister under the blocker of Ullmark to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead.
But the pesky Senators kept chipping away, tying the game late before the Leafs snatched the lead back again with less than five minutes remaining.
The Leafs held a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, but saw the determined Senators claw their way back with two straight wins.
As Leafs Nation knows all too well, Toronto entered Thursday with a dismal 1-13 record in potential closeout games since 2018, but are hoping to exorcise that demon on Thursday night.
The always-tough Florida Panthers await the winner of the series, after they defeated Tampa Bay in their first-round clash.
More to come
