1. Sports
2. Hockey
3. NHL
4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Goals from Matthews, Marchenko not enough as Maple Leafs lose to Sens

Third-period penalties cost the Leafs, losers by a 3-2 score

Published Oct 03, 2026  •  Last updated 7 hours ago  •  4 minute read

Thomas Chabot of the Ottawa Senators scores against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Oct. 3, 2026. Photo by Kevin Sousa /Getty Images

See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

• Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
• Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
• Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
• Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
• Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

• Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.
• Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.
• Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.
• Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.
• Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

• Access articles from across Canada with one account.
• Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
• Enjoy additional articles per month.
• Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

• Access articles from across Canada with one account
• Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
• Enjoy additional articles per month
• Get email updates from your favourite authors

A couple of Maple Leafs firsts added up to nothing on Saturday night.

Captain Auston Matthews and recently acquired winger Kirill Marchenko each scored his first goal of 2026-27 for Toronto in the latest Battle of Ontario, but it was Ottawa Senators forward Stephen Halliday who emerged as the hero at Scotiabank Arena.

Third-period penalties hurt the Leafs, losers by a 3-2 score in their third game of the season to drop to 1-2-0.

Halliday, standing at the side of the net, scored the winning goal at 9:46 just as a Marchenko minor expired.

Six seconds after Halliday poked the puck past netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, the Leafs didn’t give themselves a chance to recover as Jack Roslovic was sent off for tripping.

Three takeaways from the Leafs loss:

As the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Given the considerable amount of money the Leafs pay their big-name players, the talk post-game of coming close and hitting lots of posts behind Sens goalie Linus Ullmark during the evening ran hollow. They’re not cashing big cheques to almost score. Expected goals? We’d expect you’re disappointed and frustrated.

Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

“I don’t like making excuses, but somebody said we had six or seven posts or crossbar,” coach Jim Hiller said afterward. “Lots of iron. Those are good chances, typically.”

Among those on that list were Matthews, Marchenko and William Nylander.

Whether the missed opportunities came on the power play — and more on that in a minute — or at five-on-five, failure to bear down could cost the Leafs when the final points are tallied next April.

Sure, it’s early to look that far ahead, but the points squandered now can’t be made up. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. Failure to get them now could be deadly in an Atlantic Division that will feature no easy nights.

The Leafs’ No. 1 power-play unit connected for the first time in three games when Darren Raddysh fed Marchenko in the second period to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead.

That was all the Leafs had to show for four power plays, and again, in a game as tight as this one was, it wasn’t close to good enough.

It was bad in the third, when the Leafs got another opportunity after Ottawa’s William Eklund was called for interference at 14:20. A goal at that point likely sends the game to overtime. Instead, the Leafs failed to register a shot on Ullmark.

“A great goal, right?” Hiller said in reference to the Marchenko score. “Really well done, great execution.

“But we needed it to come up big at the end. That’s the one that we all leave the building with. We just weren’t dangerous.”

How could that be, we asked, considering the circumstances?

“I don’t know,” Hiller said. “It’s a good question. Give them credit. They did a good job. We did not execute. We had early puck possession in their zone, and we turned it over, and then we had a hard time getting back in.”

Nylander took responsibility for a couple of sloppy plays. Matthews said that last power play was too loose. We say it was unacceptable.

It wasn’t just a failure to tie the game on the late man advantage that did the Leafs in.

Undisciplined penalties by Marchenko and Roslovic were an issue. As we mentioned off the top, Marchenko stepped on to the ice as Halliday scored. Roslovic’s tripping gaffe quickly followed.

Marchenko high-sticked Tim Stutzle during the battle, and though the Sens forward did a nice sell-job, the Leafs forward summed it up well.

“Penalty is a penalty, and it’s on me,” Marchenko said. “I can play better next time in this moment.”

That Marchenko capped a unique week with his first Leafs goal brought a smile to the Russian winger, rightfully so.

“It’s an amazing feeling, and I was happy for that so much,” Marchenko said. “But I I’d be most happy if we win the game. Couple nice passes to me, and I just need to make my moves. It’s and unbelievable feeling, and how the fans support me, my partners on the ice, teammates.”

At 7:06 of the second period, Toronto got its first lead when Marchenko scored to make it 2-1.

A Raddysh pass from the point — not a bomb, interestingly — made it happen, as the defenceman spotted an open Marchenko. The latter then moved to his backhand to score after taking the pass.

Michael Amadio tied the game for Ottawa five minutes later on an odd-man rush, though, before Halliday’s winner in the third.

Matthews tipped his cap to Marchenko.

“I can only imagine kind of like the week that he’s had (following a trade to Toronto from Columbus on Monday),” Matthews said.

“Coming into a new environment, new team, we’re just trying to communicate and talk to him as much as we can, and help him feel comfortable and acclimated here.

“He’s a heck of a player and scored a beautiful goal tonight.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun

1. 
   Time for Maple Leafs' big guns to start scoring in latest Battle of Ontario
2. 
   Dylan Cozens happy to share Whitehorse stage with Maple Leafs' Gavin McKenna

1. 
   Sunshine Girls
2. 
   Sunshine Girls
3. 
   Toronto & GTA
4. 
   Toronto Maple Leafs
5. 
   Celebrity