In Ottawa, the Senators’ Joey Daccord made 33 saves in a 4-3 scramble win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.
“What an incredible feeling,” Daccord said. “The effort the guys gave tonight was outstanding. Just a really special moment. I hope my family and friends were watching because they probably didn’t know I was playing.”
The Leafs dropped to 19-9-2 and are 0-5-1 in their last six games.
“I just kind of had a feeling we were going to win, pretty early on there when I found out I was playing,” Daccord said. “It’s not how you draw it up, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Zach Hyman struck for two goals for Toronto, and John Tavares added a single marker.
“They made it difficult, they made it hard,” Daccord said. “But I always knew my first NHL win would be an absolute battle, so I was prepared. I knew that they were going to give a push. Bend, don’t break.”
Both scored in the third period after the Sens had built a 4-1 lead.
“I thought we were doing things we wanted to,” Toronto’s Mitchell Marner said. “I thought we were doing a good job of staying above them. When we were getting our shifts, down low we were really moving the puck well, spacing them out, getting guys to the net, getting second opportunities. It’s just that a couple didn’t fall. That’s what happens.”
Drake Batherson had two goals for Ottawa; the goal was setup by a nifty cross ice pass from Tim Stutzle.
“It was unbelievable,” Batherson said . “I was just hanging on the backside there, and there was, like, three sticks. I didn’t expect it to come on my tape. Next thing you know, backhand sauce, landed it right on my tape, I had the open cage and fired it in. I just didn’t even want to celebrate. I wanted him to celebrate how nice the pass was.”
Brady Tkachuk and Ryan Dzingel had single strikes for the Sens.
“Away from the puck, we worked,” Ottawa head coach D.J. Smith said. “That’s one of the best teams in the League, and if you don’t bring that kind of defensive effort today, it’s a big number for them.”
Michael Hutchinson got the start for Toronto and yielded two goals on just three shots. With the night not his, he was give the hook in favor of Frederik Andersen.
“I think we just really had a poor start,” the Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews said. “They were able to score a couple early, and then we were just chasing the game the rest of the time. I just think we really didn’t come out very well.”
Andersen made 26 saves in relief.
“We’ve been playing a lot of hockey lately,” Matthews said. “I think it’ll just be nice to kind of reset and regroup as a team.”
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