Tucker's 2 Power-Play Goals Lead Leafs

[February 26, 2008]  OTTAWA (AP) -- Vesa Toskala made 31 saves for his third shutout and Darcy Tucker scored two second-period power-play goals, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night.

After exercising his no-trade clause to veto any potential deal away from Toronto with Tuesday's deadline looming, Mats Sundin scored on the power play in the first period. The Maple Leafs converted each of their first three opportunities with the man advantage.

Pavel Kubina and Dominic Moore scored even-strength goals in the second as the Maple Leafs beat Ray Emery four times in the middle period to seal Toronto's third straight win against its provincial rival.

Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle stopped Mike Fisher's shot at a wide-open net with 1:02 remaining to preserve Toskala's 11th career shutout.

Toronto has won four of five.

Emery stopped 16 of 21 shots in the first two periods for Ottawa, which blew an opportunity to regain the Eastern Conference lead.

The Senators, who got off to an NHL record 13-1 start, remain atop the Northeast Division with 78 points, one less than New Jersey, which took over the conference lead Sunday.

Martin Gerber replaced Emery after the second session and stopped all six shots.

Sundin released a statement Sunday that he would exercise his no-trade clause to veto any deadline deal and remain with Toronto, which is last in the Northeast with 63 points and on the verge of missing the playoffs for a third year in a row.

The Maple Leafs captain opened the scoring on Toronto's first power play 8:19 in when he deflected Kaberle's shot past Emery from the left side of the net.

Tucker made it 2-0 when he scored the Maple Leafs' second straight goal with the man advantage. Kubina got Toronto's third goal and Tucker increased the lead to 4-0 with his second goal of the game and 14th of the season with 2 seconds remaining in Jason Spezza's minor for interfering with Toskala.

Matt Stajan assisted on each of Toronto's first three goals of the second period, tying the franchise record for most assists in a period.

Moore scored the Maple Leafs' fourth goal of the period.

Notes: Sundin was the most recent of several Maple Leafs to record three assists in the same period. He had three assists in the first period of a 4-2 win over Atlanta on Oct. 30, 2006. ... Senators defenseman Luke Richardson played his 1,400th regular season game. Richardson began his career with Toronto in 1987 after he was chosen seventh overall by the Maple Leafs in the draft. The Ottawa native has also played with Edmonton, Philadelphia, Columbus and Tampa Bay.

[Associated Press]

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