Newcomers Lead Way for Senators

The Ottawa Senators are trying to prove they are not the same team the Toronto Maple Leafs knocked out of last season’s playoffs.

The Senators rode the play of newcomers Jani Hurme and Martin Havlat to a 4-3 victory Tuesday night over the Leafs at Kanata, Canada--Ottawa’s second win over Toronto this season.

Havlat had a goal and an assist and Hurme, starting in place of injured goalie Patrick Lalime, finished with 20 saves for the Senators.

“It took a period to get our legs tonight,” said Ottawa Coach Jacques Martin, whose team recorded a 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs on Oct. 14 in Toronto. “With Patrick out, it’s a good opportunity for [Hurme]. He made the key saves at the right times. I think he’s ready to play at this level.”

Rob Zamuner’s short-handed goal in the third period was the game-winner. Alexei Yashin and Magnus Arvedson also scored for Ottawa.

Gary Roberts, Dimitry Yushkevich and Sergei Berezin scored for Toronto, which lost for only the second time in its last six (4-2-0-0). Curtis Joseph had 20 saves.

The Maple Leafs trail the Senators by five points for the Northeast Division lead.

“We took a couple of stupid, non-contact penalties and they scored on them,” Toronto Coach Pat Quinn said of second-period power-play goals by Havlat and Yashin that overcame a 1-0 Toronto lead.

“We had two or three [guys] who had bad nights but, for the most part, it was a pretty good effort.”

Carolina 6, Tampa Bay 5--Sandis Ozolinsh scored with 2:25 left in overtime at Raleigh, N.C., as the Hurricanes recovered after wasting a three-goal lead in the third period.

The win extended Carolina’s NHL-best overtime unbeaten streak to 22 straight (5-0-17).

It appeared the Hurricanes would remain winless for a sixth straight game when Tampa Bay’s Fredrik Modin, Brad Richards and Brian Holzinger scored over the final 3:48 of regulation.

That late barrage came after Ron Francis and Bates Battaglia scored 24 seconds apart early in the third period and Glen Wesley added another goal for a 5-2 Hurricane lead with 9:13 left.

Carolina had several defensive lapses over the final four minutes, and Holzinger beat Tyler Moss with 44 seconds left after Tampa Bay had pulled its goaltender.

Washington 6, Detroit 2--Richard Zednik, playing in his second game since returning from a four-game suspension, scored three goals at Washington as the Capitals ended the Red Wings’ six-game win streak.

Zednik’s first career hat trick helped Washington end an 0-2-2 winless streak with its first home victory over Detroit since Jan. 30, 1994. The Capitals were 0-6-1 in their last seven home games against Detroit. Boyd Devereaux and Martin Lapointe scored for the Red Wings.

St. Louis 4, Nashville 2--Chris Pronger scored a power-play goal after his giveaway set up the tying score and the St. Louis Blues went on to beat the Predators at Nashville, their sixth consecutive victory.

Al MacInnis had a pair of assists for the Blues. Nashville is winless in its last five (0-2-2-1).

Leading Blues scorer Pierre Turgeon left the ice after a second-period collision with Predators defenseman Cale Hulse and did not return. He has a hyperextended right knee and is listed day to day.

New York Islanders 4, Boston 2--Kenny Jonsson had a goal and assist and John Vanbiesbrouck stopped 32 shots as the New York Islanders won their third straight game.

Joe Thornton made the game at Uniondale, N.Y., close by scoring on a backhand shot with 67 seconds left, but the Islanders iced it on Brad Isbister’s empty-net goal with 32.3 seconds remaining.

Oleg Kvasha and Dave Scatchard each scored their third goals for New York, which finished October 4-3-2--the first time the Islanders finished October over .500 since 1992.

Around the League

Dallas goalie Ed Belfour was sentenced to two years’ probation and a $3,000 fine after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest stemming from a March scuffle with a security guard at an upscale Dallas hotel. . . . Toronto prospect Luca Cereda, 19, of Switzerland is recovering after undergoing heart surgery in Lausanne, Switzerland. . . . Forward Jon Sim was sent by the Dallas to Utah of the International Hockey League.