Monday, Apr. 16 7:00pm ET
Senators one game from elimination
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TORONTO (AP) – The Toronto Maple Leafs let the Ottawa Senators
back in the series by blowing a late two-goal lead, but Cory Cross'
goal in overtime put Toronto on the verge of a sweep.
|  | | You think the Maple Leafs are excited about their 3-0 series lead over the Sens? |
Cross scored 2:16 into overtime as the Maple Leafs beat the
Senators 3-2 Monday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round
playoff series.
Toronto can eliminate Ottawa with a win at home on Wednesday
night in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series.
"It was a huge win for us," Cross said. "We had the game in
control, but with a team like that you can never sit back, and they
showed us why by getting two quick goals."
Down 2-0 in the game, and without a goal in the series, the
Senators scored twice in the final 3:09 to force overtime.
"They definitely had the momentum going into overtime," Cross
said. "If we lose, we're still up 2-1, but they've got new life,
and we definitely didn't want to give a dangerous team life. They
didn't get all those points in the regular season for nothing."
The Senators had not scored on Curtis Joseph in more than 223
minutes of playoff action, dating to last year's playoffs, when
Marian Hossa spoiled Joseph's third straight shutout with 3:09 left
in regulation.
With Ottawa goalie Patrick Lalime on the bench for an extra
skater, Daniel Alfredsson then wired a shot past Joseph with 35.6
seconds left in the third period to make it 2-2.
"Guys were down, but we talked about having a chance to go up
3-0 with one shot," Cross said.
Cross scored by shooting a long rebound past Lalime.
"I haven't scored a bigger goal than that, ever," Cross said.
"It's just luck that the puck came to me."
Mats Sundin and Nik Antropov scored power-play goals for the
Maple Leafs, and Joseph made 26 saves.
"I'm sure they felt they had a great chance to win in overtime,
but Cross pulled through with a huge shot," Toronto's Bryan McCabe
said.
The Senators, the No. 2 seed in the East, lost to the Maple
Leafs in the first round of the playoffs last year.
"To come back like that was a big boost, but the end result is
that they finished it off," Ottawa's Wade Redden said. "It's
tough. When you look at it, we're down 3-0, but we just have to
take it one game at a time. Obviously, we're in a big hole, but
they say the fourth win is the toughest one to get, and we'll make
it that way."
Ottawa went 0-for-4 on the power play, falling to 0-for-15 in
the series.
Senators star Alexei Yashin scored 40 goals in the regular
season, but Toronto's Shayne Corson kept him under wraps until
Yashin got an assist on Hossa's goal.
"We're sacrificing ourselves to win. We don't care who is
scoring or what role they're doing. We're just doing the roles that
we've been given, and that's what counts in the playoffs," Corson
said. "We just have to come out the same way again."
Sundin opened the scoring with a lucky goal at 7:12 of the
first. McCabe's shot from the point deflected off Sundin's skate
and past Lalime.
Antropov's slap shot over the right shoulder of Lalime gave
Toronto a 2-0 lead at 8:18 of the second.
"We battled hard in the last few minutes to get two goals, but
we came up short on overtime," Lalime said.
Game notes
The Maple Leafs blocked an astounding 48 shots in the first
two games. ... Only three goalies in NHL history have recorded
three straight shutouts in a playoff series. ... The game was
delayed for five minutes after a puck broke a glass pane midway
through the first period. ... Ottawa's Shawn McEachern was fined
$1,000 by the NHL on Monday for hitting Toronto's Aki Berg with the
butt end of his stick during Game 2. ... Ottawa's Radek Bonk
returned to the lineup after missing two games with a broken thumb.
Bonk hasn't scored a goal in 23 career playoff games.
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ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard
Ottawa Clubhouse
Toronto Clubhouse
Maple Leafs-Senators Series Page
NHL fines Sens' McEachern for hit above Berg's eye
RECAPS
Pittsburgh 3
Washington 0
Toronto 3
Ottawa 2
Philadelphia 3
Buffalo 2
St. Louis 6
San Jose 3
Colorado 4
Vancouver 3
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Bryan McCabe shoots the puck on-net and Mats Sundin scores the goal on a back-handed tip.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Nik Antropov utilizes the screen and blast home his first career playoff goal.
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Marian Hossa beats Curtis Joseph to end his shutout streak.
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Daniel Alfredsson scores with 36 seconds left in regulation to force OT.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Cory Cross slaps the rebound past Patrick Lalime for the game-winning goal.
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RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Curtis Joseph talks about Toronto's performance following their OT thriller.
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