Drake Batherson scores twice, Senators rally to beat Maple Leafs 4-2

Dec 28, 2023, 04:16 am

TORONTO -- — Drake Batherson scored twice and the Ottawa Senators overcame an early two-goal deficit to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Wednesday night for their second straight victory.

Parker Kelly and Brady Tkachuk also scored and Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves to help Ottawa improve to 13-17-0.

“I think we had a slow start, I don’t think we were ready to play at the pace that the Leafs came out with and they got a 2-0 lead,” said Senators interim coach Jacques Martin, who took over the job Dec. 18. “But what I like is our resiliency, how we battled back, how we stuck with it, how we adjusted.”

The Senators are 2-1-0 against the Maple Leafs this season.

“Those are our rivals over there," Kelly said. "We want to be the better team in Ontario, so tonight was a good job for that.”

Matthew Knies and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for Toronto and Martin Jones stopped 26 shots. The Maple Leafs fell to 17-9-6.

“We didn’t score the third goal, just let them hang around,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “I thought they were better than us in the second period, for sure. Our period looks worse because our power play gives them the freebie, gives them life and energy."

Knies opened the scoring 5:41 into the first period, tipping a low point shot from Auston Matthews. Bertuzzi made it 2-0 seconds later, tipping in a cross-ice pass from Morgan Rielly.

Kelly cut into the deficit 10:17 into the second with a short-handed goal. After Josh Norris' high-sticking penalty 41 seconds earlier gave Toronto the power play, Kelly blasted home a one-timer from Claude Giroux on a 2-on-1 break.

Batherson tied it off Tim Stutzle's miss with 5:35 left in the second period.

Batherson put Ottawa ahead 3:44 into the third period. He beat Jones from behind the goal line with a shot that bounced off the netminder’s left shoulder.

“I thought the big difference in the second period, we started to get some pucks behind their D, putting some pressure, creating some turnovers, creating some scoring chances,” Martins said. “We were able to tie the game and went on.”

Tkachuk added an empty-netter with 2:27 remaining.

UP NEXT

Senators: Host New Jersey on Friday night.

Maple Leafs: At Columbus on Friday night.

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