TORONTO — It’s important to remember that process outweighs the result in the preseason, as the Ottawa Senators rallied back to defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Tuesday evening.

Shane Pinto scored his second goal of the contest 16 seconds into the overtime period to complete the comeback. Pinto forced the fourth period, tying the game up with two minutes and two seconds remaining in the third frame. Fabian Zetterlund also scored for Ottawa to open the third period, after Toronto took a 2-0 lead into the second intermission.

Auston Matthews opened the scoring, after running an expertly timed give-and-go with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Matthews was arguably Toronto’s best player in the losing effort, recording a game-high eight shots in 21:38 of icetime.

Bobby McMann scored late in the first period with the man advantage, roofing a backhand past Leevi Merilainen, off a no-look pass from Easton Cowan. McMann did not score in his final 24 games of the 2024-25 campaign dating back to the regular season, and started the game on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander.

Dennis Hildeby was outstanding, stopping all 23 shots he faces in 40 minutes. Artur Akhtyamov was less effective, making 15 saves on 18 shots, after taking over for Hildeby to start the third period.

With the underscored caveat that it’s just the preseason, Auston Matthews was the Maple Leafs’ best player on Tuesday night. Matthews opened the scoring, running a clever give-and-go with Oliver Ekman-Larsson before beating Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen with a clean shot along the ice. Matthews continued to generate scoring chances with routine frequency and made a concerted effort to get his new linemate Matias Maccelli involved. Maccelli finished the game with two secondary assists and showed flashes of the playmaking that made him an attractive fit for the Maple Leafs.

“That was good. I think (we) just tried to feed off each other a little bit,” Matthews said of his growing partnership with Maccelli. “A lot of communication on and off the ice, on the bench. But he’s a really shifty player. He’s slippery out there, and he obviously has really good vision. But I thought we communicated well and we created some good offensive chances.”

Matthews almost put the game out of reach, racing away for a shorthanded breakaway but Senators goaltender Hunter Shepard made a timely save in the third period. He was active, he used his frame to great effect to win pucks back and while it’s too early for declarative statements, one way or another, there’s plenty of reason for optimism surrounding the Maple Leafs’ franchise player.

Easton Cowan is the most intriguing player in this year’s camp and he continues to impress head coach Craig Berube throughout training camp. There are no guarantees, and it may be beneficial for Cowan to start with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, but he looked every bit the part of NHL regular in Tuesday’s loss.

Cowan was afforded some power play time and used his offensive instincts to great effect, dishing a no-look pass over to Bobby McMann, who roofed a backhand home to extend the Maple Leafs’ lead. It was a clever play to buy some time for McMann and keep the Senators’ penalty kill at bay, which surely didn’t go unnoticed. Cowan was afforded some playing time with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies at the end of the game, where he worked relentlessly to keep the puck alive in hopes of a last-second winner.

“I like Easton’s game. He did a lot of good things. He was physical. He played direct. He got some opportunities on net. Overall, I liked his game,” Berube said of Cowan post-game.

Cowan is now in his third training camp with the Maple Leafs, so what’s made this fall different for the reigning Memorial Cup MVP?

“I think conversations I had with him before camp, he’s doing those things,” Berube said. “Simplified, simple hockey, using his speed. Obviously, he has abilities out there with making plays and things like that, which he showed me tonight. But they were the right plays at the right time, which is important. I thought that he played direct all game, and he worked and hounded, backchecked, did a lot of good things.”

Cowan could be slotted throughout the lineup, although he projects to be a third-line scorer with some top-six upside at the NHL level. And though it’s just a preseason game, it’s perhaps telling that he worked his way up throughout the lineup, with a chance of meaningfully impacting the game. Cowan impressed his captain, and that bodes well through the second week of training camp.

“I thought [Cowan] played really well. Thought he was in the mix a lot, made some good plays, was responsible on both sides of the puck,” Matthews said about Cowan’s game, when asked about who stood out to him Tuesday night.

Ben Danford is known for his defensive acumen and perhaps he won’t make the flashy play that lives on highlight reels. That’s no matter to his new teammates. Danford submitted a stellar performance on Toronto’s third pairing alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson and his understated game is certainly appealing to the Maple Leafs.

“I thought the young guys played well. (Danford) you don’t notice him as much back there in a good as possible way,” Matthews said of the Leafs’ 2024 first-round pick. “He makes solid plays, he’s a big body. I thought him and [Oliver Ekman-Larsson] complimented each other pretty well back there.”

Danford facilitated smart exits, he tied up opponents in front of the net, and did the small things well, recording two shot blocks in just under 16 minutes of playing time. And it’s not as if Danford played a completely stationery game, as he did well to crash down from the point when possible, trying to create offence within the flow of the game.

The 19-year-old is tasked with improving his offensive production and though it’s unlikely he makes the Maple Leafs’ roster this year, playing mistake-free hockey on a veteran-laden lineup will certainly go a long way for Toronto’s best defensive prospect.

Dennis Hildeby could have a larger role with the Maple Leafs after signing a three-year extension on September 2 and he was outstanding through the first 40 minutes of the game. Hildeby made 23 saves and did exactly what he needed to when called upon, in an impressive start. The 24-year-old earned real, emphatic cheers from the Scotiabank Arena crowd during the second period after a stellar performance killing off a penalty.

“He was good,” Berube said of Hildeby. “He was good in tight. I thought he tracked the puck well, made the saves. Down in tight around the net, there were a lot of scramble plays, and he was pretty solid covering the net.”

“I thought Dennis was great today,” Matthews said of Hildeby post-game. “He made some big saves, some really big saves. He was steady, just looked really confident and calm, poised in the net. I thought he was great.”

Hildeby underwent a rollercoaster season during the 2024-25 campaign but this is precisely the type of start he needed to build confidence entering the new year. Toronto may be forced to give Hildeby more than six NHL starts this season and through late September, he looks ready for the challenge.