@ Ottawa

The Leafs managed to escape Ottawa with a win in a game that featured more fistfights than actual hockey. The first period was a low-event slog where the team only managed four shots, though Landon Sim tried to inject some life into the proceedings by fighting Matthew Andonovski. Henrik Rybinski eventually found the back of the net on the power play in the second period, but the lead disappeared shortly after when Dylan Cozens tied it up for the Senators. Between Brendan Brisson picking up a fighting major and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and the team going two for nine on the power play, it was the usual brand of organized chaos that we have come to expect.

Everything fell apart and then somehow came back together in a third period that saw three more fights and a flurry of goals. Steven Lorentz gave us a lead before Hoyt Stanley reminded everyone that the Toronto defense is often more of a suggestion than a rule. Ryan Tverberg eventually played the hero with a goal to take the lead and Teddy Blueger added an empty netter to make the final score look much more convincing than the actual play. Anthony Stolarz was solid with 19 saves on 21 shots, which is a nice change of pace. While beating the Senators is always a fun distraction, there is no reason to get our hopes up because we have seen this movie enough times to know the ending usually involves a heartbreaking exit when the stakes actually matter.