4 takeaways from Maple Leafs' disheartening 3-2 loss to Senators

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost 3-2 to the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night. Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko each scored their first of the season, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves on 29 shots.

After two games, it was a fair assesment that the potential of this remodeled roster was there, but it was going to take time for it to all come together. While that's still true, this is a game that the Maple Leafs needed to have, even if it's only the third game of the season.

Let's get into it.

Maple Leafs let two points slip away on Saturday night

I know it's October, and I don't want to be overly dramatic here, but this felt like a game that the Maple Leafs should've had. With the game tied 2-2 heading into the third, neither team had momentum, and two points were right there for the taking, or one point at the very least.

Bobrovsky had a strong night between the pipes, the top line had their best showing of the young campaign, and by and large, so did the rest of the team.

That is, until a wonky third period that ended up being decided by special teams. The Leafs had two power plays that basically bookended the period, and the second one specifically did not look particularly great. Sandwiched between them were back-to-back penalties that the Senators ended up taking advantage of. One team capitalized on their opportunities, and the other did not.

The Senators ended up outshotting the Leafs 16-5 in the final 20 minutes.

Again, I don't want to be too dramatic, but two points count the same in October as they do in March. The Atlantic will more than likely be the most competitive division in the NHL this season, and will probably ice five of the eight playoff teams come April. Every point counts, and it felt like the Leafs handed these two to the nation's capital.

Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, the Montreal Canadiens battled back from being down 5-3 to tie the game in the final period, only to lose in overtime. Sure, they didn't get the win, but on a night when their division rivals coughed up a point, at minimum, you never know how far that overtime point will go.

Matthew and Marchenko score first goals of the season

Until the third period, I thought this game was largely positive, and that was especially true at the beginning of the second. Matthews scored his first of the season on a tip-in off a point shot from Morgan Rielly. Less than seven minutes later, on the power play, Marchenko had a nifty forehand-backhand goal at the tip of the crease for his first of the season.

In the ensuing minutes, that top line was buzzing and was met with a standing ovation from the Toronto faithful at Scotiabank.

There is still a familiarity brewing between these two, and stop me if you've heard this before: it's going to take time. However, flashes like what we saw in the second period do show early signs that this trade will earn dividends.

I also think that it's time to experiment with the roster a little bit, and that includes the third part of the first-line trio. Jack Roslovic has played fine, and I do understand why head coach Jim Hiller and the coaching staff want to fit him up top. Understanding that this whole roster needs time, that's true for Roslovic as well.

That being said, there are a lot of options. Whether it's Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan, or William Nylander, it'll be curious to see how long Hiller goes before giving that line a different look. And hey, if it doesn't work, there's no rule against putting him back with Matthews and Marchenko.

The Swiss Army Swede

Following the theme of changing up the lines, Hiller seemingly put Nylander up and down the lineup, trying to create some sort of spark. He was on the top line for certain situations and was even on the fourth line at times later in the game. Tonight was especially special, as Nylander notched his 400th career assist on the Matthews goal.

Overall, Nylander has looked good in three games, and Hiller rewarded him with the task of giving the rest of the forward group a boost.

Bobrovsky looks sharp again despite loss

A lot of the success or failure of this 2026-27 Maple Leafs season rides on whether or not Bobrovsky can return to the goalie he was a few years ago, and not have a continuation of his poor showing last season with the Florida Panthers. So far, through two games, it has been more than encouraging.

Bob looks big in the net, confident, and has already made several big saves to keep the Leafs in both of the games he has started, both 3-2 losses.

If you look at his stat line, it tells a bit of a different story. He has a save percentage (SV%) of .887, and a goals against average (GAA) of 3.06. In total, he has stopped 47 of 53 shots. However, if you go by the ol' eye test, he looks just fine to me, and you can't put any of these two defeats on the soulder of Bobrovsky.

The 38-year-old Russian isn't the only goaltender for the Maple Leafs, and it's going to take a group effort. No doubt we will see more than just the duo that is currently on the roster. But if the Leafs are to do any amount of damage this season, he will have to be at the centre of it.

Up next for the Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs wrap up a four-game homestand on Tuesday night against the Nashville Predators, before heading out West for a three-game trip that starts in Vegas against the Golden Knights on Thursday.

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