Pinto’s Late Heroics Lift Senators Over Leafs in Pre-Season Thriller
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By Harry Kettle
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Summary:
- The Senators defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2 on Tuesday night.
- Shane Pinto brought the OT winner after tying the game following Fabian Zetterlund’s shorthanded goal.
- Elsewhere, the Canadiens edged the Flyers 4-2, the Oilers overcame the Jets 3-2, and the Flames beat the Kraken 4-1.
The Ottawa Senators had a dramatic pre-season hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday evening at Scotiabank Arena, edging Craig Berube’s squad 3-2 with help from Shane Pinto, who scored twice in the final minutes.
The 24-year-old, born in New York, tied the game on a power play with just two minutes remaining in regulation, then only needed 16 seconds in overtime to bury the winner.
Strong Start for Toronto
Toronto came out strong, opening the scoring in the first period with goals from Auston Matthews and Bobby McMann, the latter coming on a power play. After claiming Sunday’s NHL exhibition opener 4-3 in Ottawa, it looked like the Leafs were headed for another victory for much of Tuesday’s contest.
However, the momentum shifted late in the third, when Fabian Zetterlund gave Ottawa life when he struck shorthanded at 7:33, cutting the deficit in half and setting the stage for Pinto’s late-game heroics.
The Senators kept the pressure going, outshooting Toronto 17-8 in the third period and finishing with a 41-33 advantage overall.
Between the pipes, Ottawa split duties. Leevi Merilainen stopped 23 of 25 shots across two periods, while Hunter Shepard handled all eight shots he faced in relief. Toronto’s Dennis Hildeby was sharp through 40 minutes, turning aside 23 attempts, but Artur Akhtyamov allowed three goals on 18 shots in the final frame and overtime.
Special teams played a role as well. Ottawa finished 1-for-3 with the man advantage, while the Leafs went 1-for-5.
Elsewhere in Tuesday’s NHL Pre-Season Action
Montreal Canadiens-Philadelphia Flyers: 4-2
At the Bell Centre, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki both had a goal and an assist that led the Canadiens past the Flyers. Florian Xhekaj scored, and his brother Arber sealed it with a short-handed empty-netter. The Flyers fought back with second-period markers from Anthony Richard and Owen Tippett, but Montreal carried a 3-2 lead into the third and never looked back. Shots finished 23-21 for the Habs.
Edmonton Oilers-Winnipeg Jets: 3-2
Ty Emberson netted the deciding goal midway through the third as the Oilers slipped past the Jets in Winnipeg. Noah Philip set up two goals, while Quinn Hutson and Isaac Howard also scored for Edmonton. Colin Miller and Colby Barlow replied for Winnipeg, with Brad Lambert picking up two assists. The Jets held a 23-17 shot edge but went 0-for-2 on the power play.
Calgary Flames-Seattle Kraken: 4-1
In Calgary, Rory Kerins broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal early in the second, sparking the Flames to a 4-1 win over the Kraken. Yegor Sharangovich, Matt Coronato, and Sam Morton (empty-netter) added goals, while Hunter Brzustewicz tallied two assists. Mitchell Stephens had the lone Seattle marker as Calgary outshot the visitors 34-20.
