It was another overtime thriller in the Battle of Ontario Thursday night, as the Toronto Maple Leafs once again bested the Ottawa Senators 3-2 to take a 3-0 series lead.

With the Canadian Tire Centre seeing its first playoff hockey since 2017, it’s hardly the result the city would have liked, especially against such a close rival. Speaking after the game, Senators head coach Travis Green addressed the disappointing result for his squad.

“There’s not much I’m gonna say to them right now that’s gonna help or make them feel any better,” Green said, of his message to the team. “It’s disheartening to say the least. I thought both teams played a hell of a game. Sometimes playoff hockey comes down to little inches or bounces, and we were on the wrong end of it tonight.”

It’s no surprise Green is frustrated, after Games 2 and 3 followed a similar pattern of Ottawa finding the tying goal in the third, then losing it early in overtime. From a coaching perspective, it’s easy to get caught up in the fact that this series could look very different if a few more things went their way and Green spoke about that after the game.

“Sometimes it’s a little thing here and there, I don’t think there’s a lot we have to change,” Green said. “I’m not complaining, but they’ve got a couple bounces that have gone their way. Puck goes off the toe, a deflection goes in, and we just need to keep playing and worry about the next game. When you lose two games this way, you’re not making big adjustments to be honest.”

Green’s not wrong, but he’s also complaining a little bit, despite what he says. In Game 1 it was claims of Toronto embellishing calls, and now it’s Toronto getting lucky bounces. Down 3-0 in the series, in his first year at the helm of the team, you’d imagine he’d take a bit more ownership of their results. But Green is steadfast in saying they’re sticking to the plan.

“Whether you’re up three or you’re down three, for me the next game is the most important one,” he said. “I don’t think we have to worry about winning four in a row, and that’s what every coach is gonna say … the one thing I know about our team is we’re not gonna lay down, we’re not gonna go away, we’re gonna be ready to play.”

Ottawa will host Toronto in a do-or-die contest Saturday night, as the Leafs look to clinch a second round berth for the second time in three years.