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Vermette's third-period goal lifts Senators over Blues

Mar 21, 2007 - 5:26 AM ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Antoine Vermette's first game-winning goal in 3 1/2 months came at an opportune juncture for the Ottawa Senators.

Vermette scored the go-ahead goal in the third period as the Senators posted a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues.

Chris Kelly had two goals and an assist and Mike Fisher also scored for the Senators (43-23-8), who moved within five points of the first-place Buffalo Sabres (46-19-7) in the Northeast Division.

The Sabres have two games in hand on the Senators, who play five of their final eight games at home.

"Until the end, we are not going to know who we are playing, so we have to keep playing every night," Ottawa coach Bryan Murray said.

Vermette tallied his first game-winner since December 2 when he redirected Kelly's pass by goaltender Curtis Sanford for a shorthanded tally 4:26 into the third period for a 3-2. He entered with just two tallies in his last 22 contests.

"I have to score if we are going to do anything now or in the playoffs," Vermette said. "It has been too long."

Kelly iced the victory when he scored an empty-net goal with 17 seconds left to cap his first multi-goal game of his career.

"Two goals are great, but two points really are more important, and we need all the points we can get," Kelly said. "Buffalo and Pittsburgh are not going to make our lives any easier, that is for certain. Vermette and I did seem to make sense tonight, and that was neat, but we need to keep it up."

Goaltender Martin Gerber made 29 saves and improved to 9-0-2 in his last 11 starts for the Senators, who have won four of their last five games. Gerber has allowed just 23 goals in that span.

Fisher gave the Blues a 2-1 lead with a shorthanded goal at 12:39 of the second period when he picked up a loose puck, skated in snapped the puck over Sanford's glove.

The Blues were not happy with giving up two shorthanded goal in the game.

"They made good plays on their shorthanded goals, but still, when you are on the other side it is just plain bad," Sanford said. "We've had power play issues all year, but this tops it off."

The Blues entered with the 29th-ranked power play in the league and went 0-for-8 against the Senators.

"The power play has hurt us before, but never quite like this," St. Louis coach Andy Murray said. "To be outscored, 2-0, oh my."

St. Louis' Brad Boyes tied the game at 2-2 when he took Petr Cajanek's centering pass and beat Gerber with a wrist shot from the slot at 16:33 of the second period. Barret Jackman also scored for the Blues, who have won just two of their last nine contests.