Fisher, Leclaire lift Sens over Leafs

Mike Fisher(notes) scored two goals and Pascal Leclaire(notes) made 30 saves as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place.

“A lot of hard hits and fights. It was a physical game, back and forth and some good battles out there,” said Fisher.

There was no shortage of action in the second edition of the “Battle of Ontario.”

Just over three minutes into the first, Sens forward Shean Donovan(notes) cut through the Leafs defence and nearly beat Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala(notes) on a backhand, but the puck hit the post.

However, Ottawa found the score sheet five minutes later.

Fisher potted his eighth goal of the season at 8:08. After a smart pinch by Alexandre Picard, the puck pinballed behind the Leafs net and came out front to a waiting Fisher, who buried it past Toskala for a 1-0 lead.

Toronto (3-11-5) took only 62 seconds to respond.

Phil Kessel(notes) continued his torrid start, scoring his fifth goal of the season. The former Bruin rushed through the neutral zone, crossed the blue-line and sent a wrister top-shelf behind Senators goaltender Pascal Leclaire.

Rookie Carl Gunnarsson(notes) registered his first NHL point on the goal, with Matt Stajan(notes) assisting as well.

“It’s tough. We’re definitely working hard and getting chances, but, at the end of the day, we’ve got to find a way to score one more than the other team,” Stajan said.

The Senators nearly regained the advantage on the penalty kill.

Ottawa’s Chris Kelly(notes) jumped a pass and started up the right-hand boards, with Fisher joining the rush. Kelly chipped the puck to Fisher who one-timed a backhander on net, but was stopped by Toskala’s glove.

But it was the visitors who took the lead early in the second.

After a scramble in front of Leclaire, Nick Hagman collected the puck in the corner, curled out past the hash marks and fired a wrist shot over Leclaire’s right shoulder, making it 2-1.

“It was a fairly exciting hockey game,” said Toronto defenceman Ian White(notes). “A couple of fights, a close game and a lot of aggression and guys battling. It was good.”

The Sens (9-6-3) evened the score at 11:03.

On the power play, Milan Michalek(notes) got his eighth marker of the season. The Sens forward deflected Picard’s point-shot past Toskala, tying the game at 2-2.

Ottawa continued to press as Fisher put the Sens ahead by one. Alex Kovalev(notes) found Fisher, who blasted a wrist shot off the back bar and past Toskala for his second goal of the game. Chris Campoli(notes) assisted on the play.

Toronto came close with under three minutes remaining. Looking for his second of the game, Hagman snuck out front and sent a shot on net, but was stymied by Leclaire’s glove.

“We liked our first 50 minutes of the game,” Ottawa coach Cory Clouston said. “We played our last 10 not to lose. You can’t have success like that, but we got the two points. We needed [Leclaire] and he was at his best.”

The Ottawa netminder made half of his 30 saves in the third period.

“I felt good out there and was able to make some good saves,” said Leclaire. “It was a real fun game. A few fights and I think the intensity was pretty high.”

The second edition of the Battle of Ontario was worth the price of admission.

In the first 20 minutes, Toronto and Ottawa combined for 19 hits, 36 penalty minutes and three fighting majors.

Tough guys Colton Orr(notes) and Matt Carkner(notes) were the main event, trading blows until Orr landed on top of Carkner after a flurry of fists from the Leafs forward.

Luke Schenn(notes), Jeff Finger(notes), Chris Neil(notes) and Jesse Winchester(notes) also received fighting majors in the first period.

The story remained the same as Jarkko Ruutu(notes) and John Mitchell(notes) dropped the mitts just 1:14 into the second. The marathon scrap began as the Leafs forward reacted to a hit on teammate Schenn.

Mitchell received a fighting major, a 10-minute misconduct and an instigator penalty on the play.

Fisher didn’t hurt his chances to be a part of the 2010 Canadian men’s Olympic team. The Peterborough, Ont., native now has nine goals and 16 points in 18 games, including five markers on the power play, and three game-winners.

The 29 year-old centre trails only Daniel Alfredsson(notes) for the team lead in points.