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Senators continue offensive surge against Maple Leafs

Oct 25, 2006 - 3:01 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- The Ottawa Senators have found their offense over the last two games.

Six players had a goal and an assist and Martin Gerber made 37 saves to lead the Senators to a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs to open their second home-and-home series of the season.

Ottawa scored the first five goals, including three in the opening period, in beating Toronto for the second time in three games this season.

Mike Fisher, Andrej Meszaros and Patrick Eaves had goals in the first period and Antoine Vermette and Dany Heatley tallied in the second. Chris Neil closed out the scoring in the final session.

"It feels good to get my first (goal)," Mike Fisher said. "(Antoine) Vermette and (Chris) Neil are playing really good right now and they bring a lot to the line. It's fun playing with those guys and it's nice to each get a goal tonight."

Toronto goaltender Andrew Raycroft only stopped 16 of 21 shots and was pulled after two periods. Jean-Sebastien Aubin came on in the third and made 10 saves. After scoring 10 goals in their first six games, the Senators have 14 tallies in their last two contests.

"(Raycroft's) going to play a lot of hockey for us," Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice said. "It's a 5-1 game and if the game is going to change it's not going to be on his goaltending."

Gerber has put together solid performances in his last two starts as he battles Ray Emery for the No. 1 goalie position.

"It's always nice to get some ice time and get some action," Gerber said. "At the beginning of the season you look for ice time and whatever you get you try to use it as good as you can."

Matthew Stajan and Mats Sundin had goals for the Maple Leafs.

"It's disappointing," Maurice said. "We were changing everything in the first period. If you're not competing, you're trying to give some guys some ice time that look like they're working regardless sometimes of the result. You play guys that are trying hard."

Heatley has tallied goals in each of the last three contests for Ottawa, which is 3-0 on the road this season.

"We got all the lines rolling tonight," Dany Heatley said. "We got a goal from everybody it seemed like. I thought (Toronto) came on really well at the end of the second and early third, but we held them off with a couple more key goals. I thought we played pretty well."