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Local product Colaiacovo leads Maple Leafs to win

Feb 3, 2008 - 4:42 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs apparently are serious about turning the tide in the battle of Ontario teams.

Toronto native Carlo Colaiacovo snapped a tie early in the third period and Dominic Moore and Jason Blake each had a goal and an assist as the Maple Leafs ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

Rookie Jiri Tlusty also scored and Matt Stajan added two assists for Toronto, which has won its last two meetings with Ottawa after dropping the first three this season.

"From the start of the game, we were a determined bunch," Colaiacovo said. "Even when they tied it in the third, we were still up on our bench and we believed we were going to win this game."

"They're one of the better teams in the league," Toronto goaltender Vesa Toskala added. "Hopefully, that's a little confidence boost for us."

Nick Foligno and tough guy Chris Neil tallied for the Eastern Conference-leading Senators, who have lost five of their last seven games.

With this contest even at 2-2 in the third period, Colaiacovo scored his first goal of the season to put the Maple Leafs ahead for good.

Making his NHL debut after being recalled from the American Hockey League earlier in the day, Robbie Earl backhanded a pass across the slot to the defenseman, who fired the puck past goaltender Ray Emery from the left faceoff circle at 4:28.

"Tonight, things went our way," Colaiacovo said. "We're a determined bunch. We're not giving up in here and we're going to continue playing right to the end."

Blake upped the lead to 4-2 at 8:08, receiving a pass in the slot from Stajan and deking Emery before sliding in an backhander for his 11th goal.

Moore, who grew up north of Toronto, opened the scoring at 9:32 of the first period with his first goal since being claimed off waivers from Minnesota on January 11. After Ottawa defenseman Luke Richardson's clearing attempt from behind the net deflected onto the doorstep, Moore knocked the puck past Emery for a 1-0 lead.

"It's a great feeling," said Moore, who was born in Thornhill, Ontario. "I consider it an honor to wear the Maple Leaf jersey. And to score my first goal as a part of this organization is something I am very proud of."

Tlusty doubled Toronto's advantage five minutes later during a power play. Stajan's slap shot from the right faceoff circle was stopped by Emery, but Tlusty backhanded the rebound in from the doorstep with 5:33 remaining in the opening period.

The Senators halved the deficit 51 seconds later, when rookie Foligno deflected Randy Robitaille's shot from along the left wing boards past Toskala for his sixth goal of the season.

After a scoreless second session, Neil forged a 2-2 tie 92 seconds into the third.

The enforcer gained possession in the left corner and unleashed a shot from the bottom of the left circle that Toskala stopped. But Neil grabbed the rebound and tucked a backhander around the Finn for his sixth tally.

"You don't like to give them a two-goal lead to start with," Emery said. "We spent most of the game climbing back and did that."

Ottawa once again was without top-line forwards Dany Heatley (shoulder) and captain Daniel Alfredsson (hip) but hopes to get both back soon.

"It's a tough time right now," Senators All-Star Jason Spezza said. "We've had some key injuries to key guys. It's always tough to get wins when you're not feeling good as a team and you're giving up too many goals against. But it's a lot better to have this happen to us now than later in the season when you're in the playoffs. We'll right this ship."

Toskala made 19 saves for the Maple Leafs, while Emery turned aside 22 shots for the Senators.

Toronto was not whistled for a penalty, marking the first time the team has accomplished the feat since January 12, 2002 against Montreal.

"That's a surprise," Maple Leafs All-Star defenseman Tomas Kaberle said. "You don't see it often."

"That's the best way to kill them," Toskala joked. "You have a great chance to win when you don't spend time on the penalty kill."

Spezza was more surprised at the lack of penalties against the Maple Leafs than Kaberle.

"It's tough to explain why they got power plays and we got none in an NHL game," Spezza said. "But that's something that's out of our control."