Linus Ullmark shuts the door, Senators smother Maple Leafs 3-0

TORONTO (AP) — Linus Ullmark made 27 saves for his first shutout of the season as the Ottawa Senators blanked the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 on Tuesday night.

Josh Norris, Tim Stutzle and Michael Amadio scored for Ottawa. Artem Zub added two assists.

Anthony Stolarz stopped 38 shots for Toronto, which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.

The teams met for the first time since Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly cross-checked Ridly Greig up high after the Senators forward took a slapshot into an empty net on a breakaway in a 5-3 victory Feb. 10. Rielly was suspended five games for the incident.

Toronto captain Auston Matthews missed a fourth straight contest with an upper-body injury. Veteran winger Max Pacioretty, meanwhile, is out week-to-week after suffering a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

Ottawa center Shane Pinto returned to action following an eight-game absence.

Senators: Ullmark picked up his first shutout in an Ottawa uniform since coming over from the Boston Bruins in an off-season trade. The goaltender signed a four-year, $33-million extension last month.

Leafs: The home side had allowed 34 shots on three occasions in 2024-25 before Tuesday. Ottawa directed 35 pucks on target through 40 minutes against Toronto.

Stutzle made it 2-0 early in the second period before Amadio fired past Stolarz less than a minute later to put the visitors up by three.

Ottawa, which hasn’t made the playoffs since its run to the 2017 Eastern Conference final, won three of four meetings between the Atlantic Division rivals last season.

The Senators host the Flyers on Thursday. The Maple Leafs visit the Capitals on Wednesday.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Toronto Maple Leafs' Mitch Marner reacts during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators in Toronto, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann, left, battles for the puck with Ottawa Senators' Nick Jensen during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Josh Norris, right, eyes the puck as he battles for position with Toronto Maple Leafs' Pontus Holmberg during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Tim Stutzle, second right, celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Josh Norris (9) celebrates with Claude Giroux, center, and Ridly Greig (71) after scoring his team's opening goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Michael Amadio (22) shoots on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz, front right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Josh Norris, left, celebrates with Claude Giroux after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark makes a stop in front of Toronto Maple Leafs' Steven Lorentz during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 36 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, Jaylen Brown added 24 points and 12 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Brooklyn Nets 139-114 on Wednesday night.

Payton Pritchard had 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Celtics, who quickly and emphatically bounced back with their highest points total of the season after a surprising 117-116 home loss to Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Boston fell into a 13-point hole in the first quarter of this one before the NBA champions snapped themselves back into top form and turned the game into a rout with a 74-point second half.

Ziaire Williams scored a season-high 23 points for the Nets.

Celtics: The home loss to an Atlanta team that played without star guard Trae Young was puzzling. But when the Celtics play like they did in the third quarter, when they rang up 38 points and were 7 for 11 behind the arc, nights like those will be rare.

Nets: The Nets should like what they're seeing from Williams, who made his second straight start with Ben Simmons (left calf tightness) and Dorian Finney-Smith (sprained left ankle) sidelined. They added the No. 10 pick in the 2021 draft after he spent his first three seasons in Memphis.

Derrick White, who scored a season-high 31 points Tuesday, was in foul trouble and scoreless in the first half Wednesday. He finally got on the board with a 3-pointer early in the third quarter, quickly sparking the Celtics to a 13-2 spurt that pushed a four-point lead to 85-70.

The Celtics have won 12 of the last 13 meetings overall against the Nets and seven straight in Brooklyn, where they haven't lost since the 2020-21 season.

The Celtics are off until hosting Toronto on Saturday night. The Nets head across town to visit the Knicks on Friday and Sunday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Brooklyn Nets' Cam Thomas shoots while Boston Celtics' Payton Pritchard defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Brooklyn Nets' Dennis Schroder celebrates after scoring a three-point basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Boston Celtics' Jrue Holiday grabs a rebound in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown reacts after scoring a three-point basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum reacts after scoring a three-point basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)