Ullmark's shutout and Tkachuk-Stutzle duo fuel Senators' game 5 triumph over Leafs

Time of India

30-04-2025

The air crackled with tension inside Scotiabank Arena as the Ottawa
Senators
, facing elimination once again, delivered a masterful performance to silence the Toronto
Maple Leafs
faithful.
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Goaltender Linus Ullmark stood tall, turning aside all 29 shots he faced for his first career playoff shutout, while captain Brady Tkachuk and dynamic forward Tim Stutzle each contributed a goal and two assists in the decisive 4-0 victory on April 29.
Having surrendered a combined 12 goals in the series' opening three contests, Ullmark has found a new level of resilience, allowing just three goals on 63 shots in the past two games. His stellar play provided the backbone for an inspired Senators team that refused to succumb.
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'It doesn't really matter in a playoff series how you're doing, you can lose 1-0, you can lose 6-2, it's still a loss,' Ullmark stated matter-of-factly.
'My job is to stop pucks and every night it's all about battling it out with the other goalie on the other team, try to make more saves than the other guy and come out victorious. Sometimes I'd say it comes down to lady luck when it comes down to certain different areas of the game, but you have to earn it.'
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The Senators, the Eastern Conference's first wild card, showcased a collective effort, fueled by a desire to extend their season.
'It took everybody,' Tkachuk emphasized. 'Our best player tonight was Linus, who made some huge saves for us, but it took everybody on the bench, everybody in our room. Everybody wanted to win. Our will to win was high and I think it paid off.'
Meanwhile, Anthony Stolarz, in net for the top-seeded Maple Leafs, stopped 15 shots but couldn't match Ullmark's brilliance. Despite the setback, Toronto still holds a 3-2 series lead heading back to Ottawa.
'They capitalized on two chances and we seemed a little snakebitten getting pucks by Linus tonight,' Stolarz conceded. 'At the end of the day, if you were to tell us before the series we'd be up 3-2 going back to their place, that's a position that we'll take.'
Early in the game, Ullmark denied John Tavares on a breakaway, setting the tone for his exceptional night.
Later in the first period, Chris Tanev thwarted Drake Batherson on a power play, keeping the game scoreless. Despite being outshot 12-4 in the opening frame, the Senators remained resolute.
'I thought we started well, good chances,' Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews said. 'I thought, just, the execution at times wasn't there. Obviously, they get the first goal and we're just kind of chasing the game from there, but I thought we did good things. But in the end, there's little plays, execution -- it's the small details. They made good on their chances and here we are.'
Thomas Chabot finally broke the deadlock for Ottawa early in the second period, his shot deflecting off Matthews and past Stolarz. Ullmark continued to shut the door, notably stopping Mitch Marner from close range later in the period.
'Not surprising,' Senators coach Travis Green remarked on Ullmark's performance. 'I feel like I've been talking about Linus a lot this series and we've got a lot of confidence in him and rightfully so. He was sharp again tonight.'
The Senators extended their lead in the third period with a short-handed goal from Dylan Cozens, capitalizing on an errant pass from Matthews.
'Gaudette made a great read and picked it off,' Cozens explained. 'It was good poise by him to let me get up the ice and he made a great pass. I just shot it and it went in. It was a great play by Gaudette.'
Matthews nearly answered for Toronto, ringing a shot off the post. However, empty-net goals from Stutzle and Tkachuk sealed the decisive victory for Ottawa.
'We had chances to score, didn't capitalize on our chances,' Tanev acknowledged. 'They scored the goal and then defended well and won the special teams, which has obviously been a thing every game. Special teams has been a huge part of the game. And it will continue to be Thursday.'
'It's been a tight-checking series,' Green reflected. 'I don't think it's just these last two games, we played pretty well in the games before that, but I do think our individual game and collectively, our game has gotten better. I think part of it is from not playing in the playoffs before and feeling a little more comfortable.'
The Senators' resilient goaltending from Linus Ullmark and timely scoring from Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle propelled them to a dominant 4-0 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5. Ullmark's first playoff shutout staved off elimination for Ottawa, forcing a Game 6 back in their home arena with Toronto still leading the best-of-seven series 3-2.