NHL Game Summary - Toronto at Ottawa
Ottawa, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Erik Karlsson scored twice to give the Ottawa Senators a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
Mike Hoffman posted a goal and an assist and Mika Zibanejad also lit the lamp for the Senators, who had lost three of four coming into the game. Craig Anderson made 37 saves in the win.
"It was a big win for us," said Anderson. "We make sure the fans get everything they pay for when we make it close at the end."
James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri and David Clarkson scored for the Maple Leafs, who have fallen in each of their last six outings. James Reimer gave up all four goals on 26 shots in the loss.
"We just have to keep trying to move forward," said Kadri. "That's really all we can do is try and stay positive and we just have to play with that desperation through 60 minutes instead of 40 or 45."
Ottawa got on the board at 2:02 of the first as Hoffman's heavy wrister from the slot found the right corner, shortly after Phil Kessel missed on a breakaway.
It was a 2-0 game at 11:53 of the first as a 3-on-1 was finished off when Karlsson and Hoffman passed back-and-forth until Karlsson's one-timer from the left wing went into the net.
The Senators took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission as Zibanejad's one- timer from the left side found the back of the net with 19.8 seconds left in the frame.
Toronto posted the only goal of the second period to get on the board, as Cody Franson's shot from the right point was tipped and was bouncing on net before Clarkson swept it in at 13:55.
The Leafs made it a one-goal game at 2:36 of the third as Kadri's shot from the left point went in for a power-play goal.
Karlsson, though, gave his team some breathing room when his one-timer went in with 4:40 to play for a 4-2 lead.
That goal proved fortunate, as the Leafs got within one with 1:23 left after Kessel's shot from the right wing was stopped and van Riemsdyk buried it from the left wing for his 20th of the season.
Toronto got Reimer out of the net for an extra attacker, but was unable to notch the equalizer before time ran out.