Maple Leafs Are Game 7 Winners

The Ottawa Senators still haven’t figured out how to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs.

So for the fourth time in five years, the Senators are going home early from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Ed Belfour made 36 saves, and Joe Nieuwendyk scored twice on a shaky Patrick Lalime as the Maple Leafs advanced to the second round by defeating the Senators, 4-1, on Tuesday night in Game 7.

“It’s tough to swallow,” Senator defenseman Wade Redden said.

Ottawa is 0-4 in series against Toronto and 0-4 in Game 7s overall. The Senators avoided the Maple Leafs in last year’s playoffs and reached Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals before losing to Stanley Cup champion New Jersey.

The Maple Leafs, who led 3-0 after the first period, will meet the Flyers in the second round, beginning with Game 1 on Thursday night in Philadelphia.

Toronto enforcer Tie Domi sparked his team by assisting on the first goal. Nieuwendyk had two weak goals on Lalime, who was replaced by Martin Prusek to start the second period.

“It’s not the way you want it to end,” Lalime said. “They were both bad goals.”

After Ottawa’s double overtime victory in Game 6 on Sunday, Senator owner Eugene Melnyk predicted his team would win Game 7 easily.

“A big inspiration was Eugene Melnyk’s comments,” Domi said.

Belfour, who tied an NHL record by recording three shutouts in the series, looked spectacular again. Fans chanted “Ed-die, Ed-die!” throughout.

Toronto won the series despite being outshot, 238-154, and earlier in the day, Maple Leaf Coach Pat Quinn called Belfour his best player.

Asked what the Maple Leafs do better than the Senators, Belfour said: “We stuck with it. We have a never-say-die attitude, and home-ice advantage was huge for us.”

The Maple Leafs were helped by quick starts, setting an NHL record by scoring first in all seven games.

“You have to credit their goalie. Eddie was the difference,” Ottawa Coach Jacques Martin said.

“When you look at the chances tonight, we more than doubled them. I think he was the factor the whole series.”