Cozens gets 3 points, Senators defeat Maple Leafs

TORONTO -- Dylan Cozens scored twice and had an assist for the Ottawa Senators in a 5-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday.

“I thought it was a great game,” Cozens said. “We came out right from puck drop ready to go. I think we didn’t give up much either and found the back of the net which is big. I think it was a great 60 minutes.”

Drake Batherson also scored twice, and Thomas Chabot had a goal and an assist for the Senators (29-22-8), who are 6-1-1 in their past eight games. Linus Ullmark made 21 saves.

“Every game now going into the last part of the season is going to be important, especially when we play the divisional games and conference games,” Ullmark said. “Those are the ones you have to get at least one point every night so you are still in the race and not let anyone get too ahead of you, especially when we are the ones trying to catch up. (Our belief is) so high, so high.”

Morgan Rielly and William Nylander scored for the Maple Leafs (27-24-9), who have lost three in a row.

Joseph Woll allowed five goals on 28 shots before being replaced with 3:54 remaining in the second period by Anthony Stolarz, who made 12 saves in relief.

“It’s concerning for sure,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “Really it boils down to being simple and direct which we are not right now. We want the easy ice and there is no easy ice anywhere, any game. We end up not getting the puck out of our zone or not getting it deep, it’s just simple and being more direct as a team and we are not doing that right now and it’s coming back the other way on us and going in our net.”

Rielly gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead at 2:52 of the first period when he finished a pass from Auston Matthews with a wrist shot from the left face-off circle through Ullmark's pads.

Chabot tied it 1-1 at 10:59. Cozens carried the puck into the offensive zone, dished a pass to Brady Tkachuk at the right boards and drove to the net. Tkachuk found Chabot with a pass in the high slot where he beat Woll high to the glove side.

The Senators outshot the Maple Leafs 16-2 in the first period after Toronto recorded the first two shots of the game. In total, Ottawa had 19 straight shots until Matthews was stopped by Ullmark at 1:30 of the second period.

“It shows you how well we played,” Ottawa coach Travis Green said. “We talk a lot about our 200-foot game and it was on point tonight.”

Cozens put the Senators up 2-1 at 3:03 of the second period. Chabot's shot from the left point deflected off Maple Leafs defenseman Troy Stecher's left arm to Cozens, who scored into an open net from in front.

“I thought we started better,” Matthews said. “I don’t know, we just kind of lost it there. Just disconnected throughout all three zones. Just bad, fairly embarrassing to be honest with you. We need to have more pride in our play no matter where we are at, no matter what the situation is.”

Batherson pushed the lead to 3-1 at 13:05 with a snap shot off the far post from low in the right circle after Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe turned the puck over. The goal ended Batherson's 10-game goal drought in which he had 16 shots without scoring.

“It’s always nice to contribute especially going through a stretch like that,” Batherson said. “Obviously getting a lot of chances but just not finding a way. You just have to stick with it and they’ll come and luckily they did tonight.

“It’s frustrating. I’ve been through a lot of stretches like that throughout my career. It still makes you as mad as the first time going through that but it is what it is. You learn you have to continue to work hard, do the right things and know they’ll come.”

Nylander cut it to 3-2 just 51 seconds later at 13:56 when he got to the rebound off a Scott Laughton shot and squeezed the puck between the post and Ullmark’s outstretched left pad.

Batherson scored his second of the period to make it 4-2 at 15:15. Claude Giroux checked Matthew Knies in the neutral zone, which led to a turnover that Batherson collected and shot low to the blocker side from the high slot. Toronto challenged the play for offside, but the goal was upheld after a video review.

“An effort like tonight is confusing and unacceptable,” Rielly said. “Moving forward we need to not allow that to happen again.”

On the ensuing power play, Cozens extended it to 5-2 with his second goal at 16:06. Tim Stutzle sent a pass from below the goal line to Cozens in the right circle, where he sent a wrist shot in off Woll's glove to chase him from the game. The goal was Cozens’ 20th of the season.

“I felt pretty good about my personal game,” Cozens said. “I’ve developed a lot of different parts of my game, mostly my ability to play more in the offensive zone instead of just off the rush which has been big for me.”

NOTES: Stutzle extended his point streak to nine games (six goals, six assists). ... Senators forward Nick Cousins played his 700th NHL game. … Ottawa forward Michael Amadio played his 500th NHL game. … Matthews extended his point streak and assist streak to six games (six assists). ... Maple Leafs forward Easton Cowan played for the first time since Jan. 29 after being a healthy scratch the past five games. He had one shot on goal in 13:34 of ice time.