Drake Batherson and Warren Foegele scored power-play goals Wednesday night and the Ottawa Senators defeated the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Dylan Cozens added an empty-net goal for the Senators, and Claude Giroux contributed two assists.
Former Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer stopped 19 shots for the Senators, who won the season series with Toronto 3-1-0.
William Nylander scored for Toronto in a game that lacked much of the bite that usually is associated with a Battle of Ontario clash. Dennis Hildeby made 35 saves.
The Senators (44-27-11, 99 points) ended the regular season on a 5-0-1 run as they move on to play the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs. The Maple Leafs (32-36-14, 78 points) ended on a seven-game losing streak (0-6-1) and failed to make the playoffs after a string of nine consecutive postseason appearances.
Batherson flicked home his 33rd goal of the season from the edge of the crease on Giroux’s deft pass from the left circle at 6:04 of the first period during a power play. Luke Haymes was off for tripping.
The Maple Leafs did not register a shot on their first power play late in the first period that carried over to the second.
Toronto’s second power play came midway through the second period, and Ottawa had the best scoring chance, with Hildeby making the save on Shane Pinto at the end of a 2-on-1 break.
The Maple Leafs’ Easton Cowan just missed from 12 feet at 13:01 of the second.
Cowan was serving a holding penalty when Foegele scored at 18:31 of the second on a 43-foot snap shot.
Nylander ended Reimer’s attempt for his second shutout of the season when he swept in a backhand on a pass to the slot by Jacob Quillan at 8:11 of the third period. It was his 30th goal of the season.
Hildeby was removed for an extra attacker late in the third period, and Cozens scored at 19:54.
Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson were among the players who did not dress for Ottawa.
Calle Jarnkrok, Brandon Carlo and Dakota Joshua were among Toronto’s scratches.
–Field Level Media
