Canucks suffer first loss since losing Bertuzzi

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- Daniel Alfredsson took advantage of a lucky bounce to help the Ottawa Senators win a tight-checking defensive battle.

Alfredsson scored an unassisted goal after the puck hopped past three Vancouver players with nine minutes left, lifting Ottawa to a 2-1 win over the Canucks on Saturday night.

Wade Redden's high dump-in was gloved out of the air by Bryan Allen, bounced off the glove of fellow Canucks defenseman Sami Salo, over the stick of Ryan Kesler, and right to Alfredsson just inside the Vancouver blue line.

Alfredsson skated down the middle and ripped a 20-foot wrist shot past Johan Hedberg high on the stick side for his 29th goal.

"It was a little bit of a lucky break to get it with the puck bouncing in the air," Alfredsson said. "Two of the guys hit it with their gloves and one of their guys missed it and I got a lot of room to walk in and pick my spot."

That extended the Senators captain's point streak to seven games, giving him four goals and seven assists during that stretch.

"He's a good player and he's having a good year and he got a good shot away and he beat me," Hedberg said after making 18 saves.

Marian Hossa also scored and Martin Prusek made 19 saves for the Senators, who stayed within a point of Boston, which leads the Northeast Division.

"It was a tight-checking game, and it could have gone to either side," Senators coach Jacques Martin said.

Pat Kavanagh scored and Hedberg made 18 saves for the Canucks, who were playing for the fourth time in six nights and just one day after a 4-3 overtime win in Edmonton.

"There wasn't a lot of chances either way; it was very much like a playoff-style game," Canucks coach Marc Crawford said. "They got a couple of breaks tonight: One goal off a miscue by our goaltender and the other goal off a funny bounce, and they capitalized on their chances."

It was Vancouver's first loss (1-1-1) since star forward Todd Bertuzzi was suspended for the rest of the season and the playoffs for a sucker punch Monday night that left Colorado forward Steve Moore in the hospital with fractured vertebrae, a concussion and deep cuts on his face.

The Canucks missed Bertuzzi's 245-pound presence on the power play, especially when Ottawa's Chris Neil received a four-minute penalty for clipping Marek Malik in the face with his stick early in the third period.

Brendan Morrison hit the post on the only scoring chance as the Canucks failed to record a shot and struggled to gain control of the puck in the Ottawa end during the lengthy power play.

Vancouver finished 0-for-3 against the Senators and is 1-for-10 with the man advantage without Bertuzzi.

"It's a big difference when you don't have Todd going in and getting pucks and standing in front," Canucks captain Markus Naslund said.

Ottawa appeared to open the scoring on Zdeno Chara's power-play point shot 1:37 in, but the goal was waved off because Mike Fisher interfered with Hedberg.

Hossa gave the Senators a 1-0 lead 46 seconds into the middle period after Hedberg coughed up the puck to Peter Bondra behind the Canucks net. Bondra fed Hossa just outside the right circle for a fluttering shot that bounced off Canucks defenseman Sami Salo and past Hedberg as he dived back into the net.

"It's my fault," said Hedberg, who posted shutouts in his previous two starts before giving up five goals to Colorado in relief Monday. "I attempted to play the puck and couldn't get it away and the guy gets it and I couldn't get back."

Kavanagh, playing just his second NHL game of the season and the fifth of his career, tied it less than three minutes later with a deflection of Salo's high point shot. The play was reviewed because Kavanagh's stick was up near his shoulders.

Game notes
Several hundred Vancouver fans held a rally before the game in support of Bertuzzi, who has to apply to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for reinstatement before he can return next season. ... The Canucks didn't manage a shot until 14:28 elapsed. ... Vancouver centers Henrik Sedin (abdominal strain) and Artem Chubarov (groin) both missed the game. ... Vancouver LW Brad May was on crutches after taking a shot off the foot during Friday's game. ... Ottawa plays at Edmonton on Sunday.