Senators keep the Battle of Ontario alive with 4-0 win over Maple Leafs, who have a 3-2 series lead

TORONTO (AP) — Linus Ullmark made 29 saves for the first playoff shutout of his career as the Ottawa Senators edged the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 on Tuesday night to cut the deficit in the teams’ first-round series to 3-2.

Thomas Chabot and Dylan Cozens gave the Senators a 2-0 lead before Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk added empty-net goals for Ottawa, which once again staved off elimination after picking up a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 4 at home Saturday. Tkachuk and Stutzle added two assists each for three-point performances.

Anthony Stolarz stopped 15 shots for the Leafs.

Only four NHL teams have come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series — the 1942 Leafs, 1975 Islanders, the 2010 Flyers and the 2014 Kings.

Game 6 is Thursday in Ottawa.

Toronto, which beat Ottawa four times in a five-playoff span in the early 2000s, dropped to 1-13 in potential series-clinching games in the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner era dating back to the 2018 playoffs. That lone victory came in a first-round triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning two years ago.

The Leafs took the opener of this series against its provincial rival 6-2 before back-to-back 3-2 overtime victories pushed them to a 3-0 lead. The Senators, meanwhile, picked up their first playoff victory since 2017 in Saturday’s extra-time decision that kept their season going.

Ottawa opened the scoring at 3:46 of Tuesday’s second period on a Chabot point shot that found its way past Stolarz through traffic following an offensive zone faceoff win for the defenseman’s first-ever playoff goal.

Toronto — with plenty of post-season baggage, including a blown 3-1 series lead in the 2021 playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens — looked disjointed as the period wore on before the home side finally started to push inside a tense Scotiabank Arena.

The Leafs got a power play in the third period when Ridly Greig needlessly tackled Marner along the boards.

The Senators, however, broke the other way and Cozens scored his first at 8:24 when he took a pass from Adam Gaudette on a 2-on-1 and fired past Stolarz as Ottawa scored short-handed for the second time in as many games against a five-forward man advantage.

Matthews, who hit the post in OT on Saturday with the series on his stick, found iron again with five minutes to go in regulation before Stutzle sealed it into the empty net with 2:51 to play.

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Toronto Maple Leafs' goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) makes a save against Ottawa Senators' Drake Batherson (19) during first period NHL playoff action in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies (23) tries to screen Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during the first period of an NHL hockey playoff series in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) makes a save against Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews (34) during the second period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) looks on as the Toronto Maple Leafs lose to the Ottawa Senators during NHL playoff action in Toronto, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) trips up Toronto Maple Leafs' Scott Laughton (24) during the first period of an NHL hockey playoff series in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates his teammates' goal against Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) as Jake McCabe (22) looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) makes a save against Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner (16) during the second period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) keeps a close eye on Toronto Maple Leafs' Calle Jarnkrok (19) as Nikolas Matinpalo (33) battles for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Steven Lorentz (18) falls over Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) as David Perron (57) picks up the loose puck during the second period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) dives for the loose puck on a shot by Ottawa Senators' Fabian Zetterlund (20) as Morgan Rielly (44) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Dylan Cozens (24) scores a short handed goal against Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) during third period NHL playoff action in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Dylan Cozens (24) scores a short-handed goal against Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) during third period NHL playoff action in Toronto, on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Dylan Cozens (24) celebrates his short handed goal with teammate Adam Gaudette (81) during third period NHL playoff action in Toronto on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Lamar Jackson thought it was over. That the Baltimore Ravens' unwieldy season would end up in a familiar spot: the playoffs.

Then, rookie kicker Tyler Loop's potential game-winning field goal from 44 yards out drifted a little right. And then a little further right. And then a little further right still.

By the time it fluttered well wide of the goalposts, the playoffs were gone. So was Jackson's certainty after a 26-24 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday night sent the Ravens into what could be a turbulent offseason.

“I'm definitely stunned, man,” Jackson said. “I thought we had it in the bag. ... I don't know what else we can do.”

Jackson, who never really seemed fully healthy during his eighth season as he battled one thing after another, did his part. The two-time NFL MVP passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns, including two long connections with Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter that put the Ravens (8-9) in front.

It just wasn't enough. Baltimore's defense, which played most of the second half without star safety Kyle Hamilton after Hamilton entered the concussion protocol, wilted against 42-year-old Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers passed for a season-high 294 yards, including a 26-yard flip to a wide-open Calvin Austin with 55 seconds to go after a defender slipped, symbolic of a season in which Baltimore's defense only occasionally found its form.

Still, the Ravens had a chance when Jackson found Isaiah Likely for a 28-yard gain on fourth down from midfield. A couple of snaps later, the 24-year-old Loop walked on to try to lift Baltimore to its third straight division title.

Instead, the rookie said he “mishit” it. Whatever it was, it never threatened to sneak between the goalposts.

“It’s disappointing,” Loop said.

Loop was talking about the game. He might as well have been talking about his team's season.

The Ravens began 1-5 as Jackson dealt with injuries and the defense struggled to get stops. Baltimore found a way to briefly tie the Steelers for first in late November, only to then split its next four games, including a home loss to Pittsburgh.

Still, when Jackson and the Ravens walked onto the Acrisure Stadium turf on Sunday night in the 272nd and final game of the NFL regular season, Baltimore was confident. The Ravens drilled Pittsburgh in the opening round of the playoffs a year ago behind the ever-churning legs of running back Derrick Henry.

When Henry ripped off a gain of 40-plus yards on the game's first offensive snap, it looked like it was going to be more of the same. While Henry did rush for 126 yards and joined Hall of Famer Barry Sanders as the only running backs in NFL history to have five 1,500-yard seasons, he was less effective in the second half.

Even that first run was telling of what night it was going to be, as an illegal block by wide receiver Zay Flowers cost Baltimore some field position. The Ravens ended up scoring on the drive anyway, thanks to a 38-yard fourth-down flip from Jackson to a wide-open Devontez Walker, but it started a pattern that was hard to shake as several steps forward were met with one step back on a night the Ravens finished with nine penalties for 78 yards.

“We were having a lot of penalties, which kept stopping drives," Jackson said. “But I'm proud of my guys because we kept overcoming. We kept overcoming adversity and situations like this. Divisional games (can) be like that sometimes.”

Particularly when the Steelers are on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Pittsburgh has won 10 of the last 13 meetings. And while a handful of them have been in late-season matchups with the Ravens already assured of reaching the playoffs, the reality is the Steelers have been able to regularly do something that most others have not: found a way to beat Jackson.

“It comes down to situations like this,” Jackson said. “Two-point conversion one year. Field goal another year. And again this year. Just got to find a way to get that win here.”

And figure out who is going to be around to help get it.

Head coach John Harbaugh's 18th season in Baltimore ended with the Ravens missing the playoffs for just the second time in eight years. Jackson turns 29 this week and is still one of the most electric players in the league.

Yet Harbaugh and Jackson have yet to find a way to have that breakthrough season that Harbaugh enjoyed with Joe Flacco in 2013 when the Ravens won the Super Bowl.

There was hope when the season began that the roadblocks that have long been in the franchise's way — Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes chief among them — would be gone.

While the Ravens did get their way in a sense — the Chiefs will watch the playoffs from afar for the first time in a decade after a nightmarish season of their own — it never all came together.

Jackson declined to endorse Harbaugh returning for a 19th season, saying the loss was still too fresh to zoom out on what it might mean for the franchise going forward.

Harbaugh, for his part, certainly seems up for running it back in the fall.

“I love these guys,” he said afterward. “I love these guys.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, hands the ball off to running back Derrick Henry (22) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talks with an offical during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, left, greets Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jabrill Peppers (40) reacts after Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop (33) missed a field goal attempt in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)