from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,

From morning til night, the Maple Leafs were engaged in a strange disappearing act.

First, it was Auston Matthews, absent from the Friday morning skate with what turned out to be a knee strain that will sideline him three weeks. Then goalie Matt Murray, who led them out for the game against Ottawa, was on the bench for O Canada with what coach Sheldon Keefe said later significantly “flared up on him”, a new injury that will keep him out a few games and require a callup from the Marlies.

It put Ilya Samsonov in a difficult position on a night he was supposed to be resting and the hungry Ottawa Senators then phased out the discombobulated Leafs 6-2, scoring early and often at Scotiabank Arena.

Murray could not have played had Samsonov been hurt said Keefe and the arena’s emergency backup goaltender was on alert.

“It put Sammy in a terrible, terrible spot,” Keefe said. “And we didn’t take care of him when he was in there.

“To me, it was a game of missed opportunities and poorly timed penalties that were momentum-drainers.”

continued

Game highlights are below.