Senators score three times in the third to down Maple Leafs 6-3

TORONTO -- — Claude Giroux had two goals and an assist as the Ottawa Senators scored three times in the third period to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Wednesday night and pick up just their second victory in three weeks.

Giroux voiced frustration with fans and media some 24 hours earlier after the Senators were booed off the ice during Saturday’s 6-4 home loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Canadian Tire Centre crowd also chanted for head coach D.J. Smith to be fired over the weekend with the team having lost two in a row and five of its last six in regulation.

“We’ve had a lot of adversity ... a lot of things happening,” Giroux said following Wednesday’s triumph. “We can take a little breather.”

Dominik Kubalik scored twice for Ottawa (5-6-0), while Jakob Chychrun had a goal and an assist. Mathieu Joseph added three assists.

“A lot of noise around us,” said Tim Stutzle, who broke out with a goal and three assists. “We showed we can win hockey games.”

Joonas Korpisalo made 27 saves.

“This guy’s played a long time in the National Hockey League,” Smith said of Korpisalo. “He knows the way that the game’s got to be played.

“A lot of nights when your best players are your best players, you win.”

William Nylander, Tyler Bertuzzi and Nicholas Robertson scored for Toronto (6-5-2).

“We’re facing adversity early,” said Nylander, whose franchise-record point streak to open a season now stands at 13 games. “It’s good for us to grow and build. We’ve got a lot of new guys here.”

Joseph Woll stopped 21 shots for the Leafs, who were booed off the ice after tying an ugly club record set in 1976-77 by allowing four or more goals in a seventh consecutive home game to start a campaign.

Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said his concern, not surprisingly, was “very high” when it comes to the roster’s defensive issues.

“We celebrate guys who score big numbers and score a ton,” he said. “We don’t talk enough about what we give up.”

Kubalik snapped a 3-3 tie on a power play at 11:56 of the third period when his pass in front went in off the skate of Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano.

Ottawa made it 5-3 just 45 seconds later when Stutzle finished off a pretty passing play.

Woll then turned the puck over behind his net to Stutzle, who found Giroux in front for his fifth at 15:07 as Ottawa scored three times in 3:11.

Senators defenseman Artem Zub (upper-body injury) sat for a seventh consecutive game, while Leafs counterpart Jake McCabe (groin) missed his sixth straight contest.

Ottawa was also without blueliners Thomas Chabot (broken hand) and Erik Brannstrom (concussion).

UP NEXT

Senators: Host the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday

Maple Leafs: Host the Calgary Flames on Friday

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