Maple Leafs 4, Senators 0
OTTAWA -- Nazem Kadri's natural hat trick turned a close game into a route as the Toronto Maple Leafs handed the Ottawa Senators their worst home ice defeat of the season Saturday night.
Sharing the spotlight with Kadri was Toronto goalie James Reimer, who stopped all 32 shots he faced in a 4-0 win before 20,183 fans at Scotibank Place.
The Leafs are now 5-0-3 in their last eight games while the setback halted Ottawa's winning streak at three games. The Leafs and Senators are now tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference with 44 points each.
Kadri's first goal of the night came at 12:45 of the second period, with an extra attacker on the ice as a delayed penalty was being called on Ottawa's Chris Neil.
Approximately 25 caps were thrown over the glass as he completed the second three-goal game of his career with a pair of goals 2:04 apart early in the third.
Joffrey Lupul, who assisted on each of Kadri's goals, had the other Toronto goal. Kadri also assisted on Lupul's goal to give both players four-point nights.
Senators goalie Ben Bishop, who was coming off a 3-0 shutout of the New York Rangers made just 19 saves.
Lupul's ice-breaking, power-play goal was scored with Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson watching from the box after taking a hooking penalty in the offensive zone.
The Senators, who were outshot 11-5 in the first period, looked like they hit for the equalizer when Colin Greening pushed a loose puck across the line. The play had been whistled dead a split second earlier, however, as the referee lost sight of the puck.
NOTES: Lupul's first-period goal was his eighth in six games played around a two-game suspension and since returning from the injury list ... The Maple Leafs scratched defenseman Jake Gardiner for a second consecutive game. ... Center Peter Regin and defenseman Mike Lundin were Ottawa scratches for the second game in a row. ... The Senators, who entered the night with a 13-2-3 home record, leave Monday for their longest road trip -- six games in 12 days -- while the Women's World Championships are held in Ottawa. ... Canadian TV icon Don Cherry was on the ice, with microphone in hand, before the anthem. In his short spiel, Cherry told the packed house he was "looking forward to (Matt) Kassian and (Frazer) McLaren to have a good one." His words turned into action as Kassian, the Senators tough guy, fought both Colton Orr and McLaren before the 15-minute mark.
