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Senators looking for franchise-record eighth straight win

Nov 6, 2007 - 2:52 PM Toronto (6-6-3) at Ottawa (12-1-0) 7:30 pm EST

OTTAWA (Ticker) -- The red-hot Ottawa Senators aim for a franchise-record eighth straight win when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

The Senators, who also opened the season with five straight wins, last won seven in a row in 2001.

Even without center Jason Spezza, who has missed the last three games with a groin injury, Ottawa has continued to roll and also will be looking for their seventh straight win against a Northeast Division opponent.

Ottawa ranks fifth in the league in scoring, netting 3.38 goals per game. The high-scoring attack is led by Daniel Alfredsson, who leads the team with nine goals and 19 points, while Dany Heatley has eight tallies and 15 points.

Senators goaltender Martin Gerber has been stellar, posting a 9-1-0 record with a 1.88 goals-against average. The 33-year-old Swiss native defeated Toronto in both starts this season and is 5-3-0 with a 3.09 GAA against the Maple Leafs in his career.

Gerber and the Senators will have to deal with Mats Sundin, who has registered a point in 13 of the Toronto's 15 games this season. Sundin is tied for second in the league in scoring with 13 assists and 21 points.

While the Maple Leafs rank second in the league in scoring, Toronto is also ranked 29th in the league in goals allowed.

Goaltender Vesa Toskala is 5-5-1 with a 3.50 goals-against average in his first season with the Maple Leafs, but is 3-2 with a 2.22 GAA on the road this season.

Ottawa has defeated Toronto in both meetings this season and is 14-2-2 against the Maple Leafs since the start of the 2005-06 season.