Maple Leafs use depth to continue hot streak
TORONTO (AP) -- Jonas Hoglund became the latest Maple Leafs player to
score a big goal.
Hoglund put the Maple Leafs ahead with 44 seconds remaining as the
Maple Leafs beat the first-place Ottawa Senators 2-1 Saturday night.
Defenseman Robert Svehla also scored for the Maple Leafs, who have won
seven of eight.
''We've been getting scoring from everybody,'' said Hoglund, one of six
players with 10 or more goals. ''We're going to need that down the
stretch. We just can't depend on the top three guys. We need
contributions from everybody.''
After Ottawa defenseman Anton Volchenkov turned the puck over at the
blue line, Toronto's Mikael Renberg skated in and made a centering pass
to Hoglund, who didn't miss a near wide open net.
''I just went hard to the net and he made a perfect pass to me. I got
my stick on it and it went in,'' said Hoglund, who scored his 11th.
Ottawa's Patrick Lalime made 23 saves, including several impressive
stops throughout. Lalime recorded shutouts in his previous two games.
''We battled back, got the tying goal, but then we just gave it to
them,'' Lalime said. ''We battled back for nothing.''
Zdeno Chara scored for the Senators, who saw their three-game winning
streak end.
''It was more like a playoff game,'' Hoglund said. ''It was tight
checking and not a lot of scoring chances. We have to play like this to
beat Ottawa.''
Toronto's Tie Domi got the sweater over Ottawa's Chris Neil in the
first and repeatedly punched him in the face. Neil went to the dressing
room with a bloody nose.
Neil sent Hoglund to the ice with a crushing hit in the first.
Toronto's Mats Sundin made a pass from the behind the net to Svehla,
whose one-timer gave Toronto a 1-0 lead at 13:13 of the second.
After Toronto's Tomas Kaberle got a four-minute penalty for
high-sticking, Chara tied it on the power play at 6:33 of the third.
Chara, standing in front of the net, redirected Marian Hossa's
centering pass.
Toronto's Ed Belfour made 31 saves and was as good as Lalime.
Gary Roberts was in the Maple Leafs lineup for the first time this
season following shoulder surgery. The 36-year-old forward joined Mats
Sundin and Alexander Mogilny on Toronto's top line. He received a loud
ovation when he was announced as a starter and made several hard checks
throughout the game.
Game notes
Roberts checked Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson into the boards in the
second. ... Hoglund has 11 goals. ... Belfour has allowed 12 goals
during a personal 6-1 stretch.