Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs leaps into the arms of his teammates after they score the winning goal in overtime against the Ottawa Senators during Thursday night’s playoff game in Ottawa, April 24, 2025. (Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)
Simon Benoit became the unexpected star on Thursday night, scoring in overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. With that win, the Leafs are now just one step away from sweeping their first-round playoff series and claiming another victory in the long-standing Battle of Ontario.
Benoit’s goal came just 1:19 into the extra period. After a faceoff win by team captain Auston Matthews, Benoit sent the puck through traffic toward the net—and somehow, it found its way past Senators goalie Linus Ullmark. For a defenceman not known for scoring, it was a surreal moment.
“I just raised my arms and stood still,” Benoit said after the game. “Next thing I knew, everyone was rushing toward me. It felt amazing.”
Matthews, who had both a goal and an assist, and Matthew Knies also scored for the Leafs. Anthony Stolarz made 18 saves, earning his 11th straight win dating back to March. This marks the first time Toronto has led a playoff series 3-0 since sweeping Ottawa in 2001.
For the Senators, Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk each found the back of the net, with Giroux also picking up an assist. Ullmark stopped 17 shots in goal.
Game 1 saw Toronto dominate 6-2. Game 2 was a tight 3-2 OT win for the Leafs, despite blowing an early lead. Now, with Game 4 looming in Ottawa on Saturday, the Senators face a must-win situation to keep their season alive.
But Ottawa’s head coach, Travis Green, isn’t ready to throw in the towel.
“We won’t go quietly,” Green said. “We’ll be ready to fight.”
Benoit, 27, joined the Leafs last season and was seen mainly as a depth player. But in these playoffs, he’s stepped up offensively—he even assisted on Max Domi’s OT winner in Game 2. Off the ice, Benoit faced challenges earlier this season adjusting to fatherhood after welcoming his first child. He praised the Leafs' organization for supporting him during that tough period.
“After Christmas, I started finding balance between home and hockey,” he shared. “My baby’s wonderful, and I’ve got an amazing girlfriend.”
Ottawa, meanwhile, has kept things close the last two games but has struggled in the faceoff circle. Toronto won 63% of draws in Game 3—an edge that’s proven critical in such a tight series.
Giroux acknowledged this gap: “We’ve been solid all year on faceoffs, but right now, they’re just a bit sharper.”
Matthews, mostly quiet in the first two games, scored his first of the series early in the third period on a clean pass from Mitch Marner. Tkachuk later tied it with a shot off the rush that beat Stolarz high glove side, sparking life into the home crowd.
Earlier in the second, Giroux had opened scoring on a 5-on-3 power play. Toronto later equalized when Knies’ pass deflected off Shane Pinto’s skate and slid into the net.
In the end, the night belonged to Benoit, who called this the biggest goal of his life—second only to one he scored as a kid in minor hockey.
“It’s not always the stars who win you playoff games,” Benoit said with a grin. “That’s what makes it fun.”
Quick Notes:
- Leafs forward Max Pacioretty returned after 75 days out with injury, replacing Nick Robertson.
- Ottawa fans waited nearly 8 years—2,891 days—for a home playoff game. The last one was in May 2017, when they beat Pittsburgh to force Game 7 in the Eastern Final.
