The Ottawa Senators started their season the way fans hoped, defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. It was a first game to remember for Thomas Chabot, who had a goal and an assist in his first game as captain.
Chabot sets the tone
Chabot put the Senators up 1-0 at 18:52 of the first period, getting Ottawa on the board just before the first intermission. For a player who was handed the captaincy only days before puck drop, it was about as good a start as he could have asked for.
If you missed the news, Chabot was named the 11th captain in Senators history on Tuesday, taking over from Brady Tkachuk. The 29-year-old defenceman is the team's longest-tenured player, having spent all nine of his NHL seasons in Ottawa. You can catch up on how that happened in ottown's earlier report.
A back-and-forth second period
Toronto did not stay quiet for long. The Maple Leafs tied it 1-1 just 33 seconds into the second period, when Auston Matthews scored.
The Leafs then took the lead on the power play. Kirill Marchenko scored his first goal with the Maple Leafs at 7:06 of the second period, putting Toronto up 2-1.
Ottawa answered before the period was out. Michael Amadio tied the game 2-2 at 12:40 of the second, and the teams went to the third period level.
Halliday delivers the winner
The decisive moment came early in the third. Stephen Halliday gave the Senators a 3-2 lead at 9:46 of the period, and that goal turned out to be the winner.
Claude Giroux added two assists for the Senators in the game.
Goaltenders hold the line
Both goaltenders were busy. Linus Ullmark made 27 saves for the Senators, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for the Maple Leafs.
What it means for Ottawa
For Senators fans, the opener answers one small question right away: the new captain can produce on the scoresheet. ottown looked at those in ottown's earlier report before the game.
The result also adds to a rough start for Toronto. The Maple Leafs fall to 1-2-0, and each of their first three games has been decided by one goal.
Looking ahead
The source for this recap does not include details on the Senators' next game, so check the team's schedule for puck drop times and broadcast information. As for the rest of the roster, the facts available from Saturday's game focus on the scorers, the goalies and Giroux's two assists, so there is more to learn about how the lineup looked as the season unfolds.
What is clear from Saturday night is that Ottawa found a way to win a tight one on the road. Three different Senators scored, Giroux contributed two assists and Ullmark made 27 saves, a balanced effort to open the 2026-27 campaign. For a team that has just handed the captaincy to Chabot, the first game offered a promising snapshot of how the season might go.
Sources: NHL.com
