Ottawa Senators fans got the result they wanted in the Battle of Ontario, as the team beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in Toronto to open the 2026-27 season. The win came with an asterisk, though: defenceman Jake Sanderson left early and the club has yet to say how serious the problem is.
Halliday delivers the winner
Stephen Halliday scored the game-winning goal at 9:46 of the third period, jamming in a rebound from a Fabian Zetterlund shot. The final score was Ottawa 3, Toronto 2.
In goal, Linus Ullmark made 27 saves for Ottawa, while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots for Toronto.
A back-and-forth second period
The middle frame was where the game turned. Auston Matthews scored for Toronto just 33 seconds into the second period, deflecting a Morgan Rielly shot from the blue line. Kirill Marchenko then scored on the power play at 7:06, finishing on the backhand after a pass from Raddysh, to put Toronto ahead.
Ottawa answered. Michael Amadio tied the game at 12:40 of the second period, redirecting a pass from Tim Stutzle on a 2-on-1. That set up the third period, where Halliday won it.
Chabot's first night as captain
Thomas Chabot played his first game as Senators captain, taking over from Brady Tkachuk, and had a goal and an assist. Claude Giroux added two assists for Ottawa.
It was an eventful debut for the new captain, and a winning one against one of the team's fiercest rivals in front of a Scotiabank Arena crowd.
The Sanderson question
The night was not entirely good news. Jake Sanderson left the game at 12:45 of the first period and did not return. According to The Canadian Press, he appeared to aggravate a pre-existing injury.
No update on his condition or how long he might be out was included in the game reports. The Senators have not yet announced anything in the material available, so for now the question of how long he could be sidelined is open.
Sanderson's health was already one of the biggest questions heading into the opener. In ottown's earlier report on the storylines before puck drop, we flagged his health and a new-look blue line as key things to watch. Losing a defenceman in the first period of the first game puts that spotlight on the Senators' back end right away.
What led here
The opener also carried some extra intrigue before the puck dropped. As ottown reported earlier this week, Daniel Alfredsson, whose number hangs from the rafters at Canadian Tire Centre, joined the Leafs' coaching staff for the Senators' season opener, a jarring sight for many Ottawa fans. You can read ottown's earlier report on that, and ottown's earlier report on the five storylines going into the game.
What it means for Ottawa fans
How the team copes if Sanderson is out for any stretch will be the thing to watch in the coming games. Updates on his status are expected to come from the club, and ottown will pass them along once they are announced.
Sources: NHL.com, The Canadian Press (via Infonews)
