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Heatley scores twice as Senators rout Hurricanes

Dec 13, 2007 - 5:01 AM By Joe Johnson PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Dany Heatley scored twice and added an assist as the Ottawa Senators' road mastery of the Carolina Hurricanes continued Wednesday night with a 6-0 triumph.

Jason Spezza added a goal and a pair of assists and Dean McAmmond netted a tally and set up another for the Senators, who have won three in a row following a seven-game losing streak.

"We had good jump, and when you score a couple of times, it helps," Ottawa coach John Paddock said. "I thought we had a lot of good scoring chances."

Ottawa, which is 9-2-2 away from home this season, has posted an 8-1-2 record at Carolina over its past 11 trips to the RBC Center.

Heatley got his team on the board just 1:46 into the contest, when he took a pass from Spezza and buried a wrist shot past goaltender Cam Ward.

It was the first of three goals for the Senators in the opening period, as Mike Fisher followed just over 3 1/2 minutes later with a snap shot for his eighth goal of the season and Spezza tallied on a wrister with 52 seconds left.

"It was nice, especially in this building," Heatley said of the Senators' quick start. "They play well at home. To get the 2-0 lead early was big tonight. We obviously have to be ready every time we come in here, and we have so far, most of the time."

Ottawa netminder Ray Emery picked up one of the easiest wins of his career as he made only one save before leaving the game 5 1/2 minutes into the first period with a sore right hip.

Paddock said Emery's departure was precautionary, and that he would be available for Ottawa's next game Thursday at Pittsburgh.

Former Hurricane Martin Gerber finished the game, turning aside 31 shots for the combined shutout. The Swiss goalie also added to the offensive onslaught, picking up an assist on Heatley's second goal late in the third period.

"We came out really hard, and it was a different game than the last one," Gerber said. "I think the last one, they had a step on us, and today, we had a step on them."

Paddock praised Gerber's readiness.

"He knew there was a possibility that he'd come in cold and in a situation where a team puts a lot of pressure on," Paddock said. "It doesn't happen too often, but I'm sure he would have been ready."

Shean Donovan scored his fourth of the season eight minutes into the third, taking a pass from McAmmond and beating the defense up the ice before burying a wrist shot.

The loss marks the second game in a row in which Ward has allowed at least five tallies. The 23-year-old made just 20 saves in this one after suffering a 5-2 loss at Detroit on Sunday.

Carolina coach Peter Laviolette was visibly displeased with his team's effort.

"It was not good, not for two games in a row for me," Laviolette said. "Every loss is frustrating. When you're embarrassed at home, it's more frustrating, obviously."

Carolina, one of the highest scoring teams in the NHL at more than three goals a game, was shut out for the third time this season. Ottawa, meanwhile, posted its second blanking.

"It's a matter of getting traffic, getting rebounds, second effort," Carolina defenseman Glen Wesley said of his team's lack of offense. "We have to have that every night in order to be successful. We can't have any passengers on any night because we're not good enough to win as a group with five or six guys. It has to be 20 guys every single night."

Carolina's Scott Walker picked up a match penalty in the second period during an altercation with Fisher. Walker was ejected after head-butting Fisher and throwing an extra punch after the linesmen came in to break up the fight.