Toronto Maple Leafs take down Sens behind Samsonov shutout

The Toronto Maple Leafs are back in the win column after taking down the Ottawa Senators in a canadian rivalry by a score of 3-0. The Maple Leafs got the job done in the second period, scoring all three goals of the game as Ilya Samsonov carried the Maple Leafs into the net for a shootout win.

Toronto Maple Leafs take down Ottawa Senators in 3-0 shutout win.

In the first game since the birth of his first-born son, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov was electric. The Russian-born goalie, playing his first season in Toronto, was quick to endear Maple Leafs fans this week with a picture of his newborn son. Samsonov has yet to allow a goal in the little one’s life

The Ottawa Senators came into the game riding a two-game winning streak with wins over the Flyers and Panthers. That would all end as the Senators left a goose egg on the board in front of the home crowd.

Michael Bunting kicked off the scoring for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period, a minute and 23 seconds into the game, getting the puck off a strange bounce off the boards with a point blank shot.

11 minutes later, William Nylander extended the Leafs' lead with his 37th goal of the season. Alex Kerfoot grabbed a loose puck off the draw in the Senators zone and found a fading Nylander in the slot who buried it home.

Just five minutes later, Radim Zohorna captured his first goal in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform. Moments after coming off the bench, Zohorna made a break for the net. Jake McCabe fed Zohorna past the Senators defender, and Zohorna fired it to the top shelf to put the Leafs up by three.

Cam Talbot came into the game for the Ottawa Senators in the third period, but the Senators' change in net couldn’t convert to goals on the other side of the ice. Ilya Samsonov was electric in net, stopping all 30 shots faced and shutting off the Senators from a vital two points in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The win for the Toronto Maple Leafs ends the season series with a 3-1 record for the team from Toronto. The Senators sit six points out of the second Wild Card spot with only six games remaining on their schedule. The Maple Leafs are four points ahead of the Lightning with seven games left.