Simon Benoit played the unlikely hero Thursday night, firing home the overtime winner to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. The Maple Leafs now hold a commanding 3-0 series lead, with a chance to close it out Saturday night in Ottawa.
Benoit’s game-winner came just 1:19 into the extra frame. After Auston Matthews won a clean faceoff at the left dot, he sent the puck back to Benoit at the point. The defenseman wound up and blasted a low slap shot through heavy traffic, beating Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark to the far post to seal Toronto’s second straight overtime win.
“I just tried to get it on net,” Benoit said postgame. “The guys in front did a great job creating a screen, and it found its way in.”
The Leafs also won Game 2 in extra time, 3-2, on Max Domi’s early overtime tally Tuesday night in Toronto. This time, Benoit was the difference-maker, and the Maple Leafs are now just one win away from advancing.
Matthews and Matthew Knies also found the back of the net for Toronto. Matthews gave the Leafs a 2-1 lead just 32 seconds into the third period, tapping in a feed from Mitch Marner, who worked the puck from behind the Ottawa goal. Knies had earlier tied the game at 1-1 in the second period with a power-play goal at 8:31, after Claude Giroux opened the scoring for Ottawa at 1:38 with a power-play tally of his own.
Brady Tkachuk was the spark for Ottawa late, tying the game at 2-2 with 8:38 left in regulation. The Senators’ captain finished off a rush by snapping a low wrist shot from the high slot past Toronto netminder Anthony Stolarz, giving the home crowd renewed hope before Benoit’s dagger in overtime.
Stolarz made 18 saves in the win, while Ullmark turned away 17 shots for the Senators. Despite strong efforts from both netminders, it was Toronto’s execution in critical moments that again made the difference.
Toronto now has the chance to finish the series in a sweep on Saturday night, while Ottawa faces elimination in front of their home fans.
“We’ve been finding ways to win these tight ones,” said Matthews. “Now the focus is on finishing the job.”
