Ottawa Keeping Toronto in Check

TORONTO —  First, Daniel Alfredsson took out Darcy Tucker. Seconds later, Alfredsson took out the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Alfredsson broke a tie with 2:01 left, lifting the Ottawa Senators to a 4-2 victory Friday night. Radek Bonk added an empty-net goal with 34.2 seconds left.

The victory gave the Senators a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Game 6 is Sunday at Ottawa.

Alfredsson’s hit from behind knocked out Tucker and led to the game-winning goal by the Ottawa captain. The Maple Leafs were livid that no penalty was called.

“I’m quite frankly full of anger,” Maple Leaf Coach Pat Quinn said.

Alfredsson forced a turnover in the Toronto zone when he hit Tucker, sending Tucker crashing into the boards. Tucker remained on the ice while play continued and no penalty was called.

“I wasn’t trying to finish him at all. I was just trying to make sure the puck got to the point,” Alfredsson said. “I didn’t see anything wrong.”

While Tucker was down, Ottawa’s Yuha Ylonen centered the puck to Alfredsson from behind the net and Alfredsson lifted a shot over goaltender Curtis Joseph.

The game’s officiating supervisor, Dave Newell, said of Alfredsson’s check: “Neither of [the referees] thought it was a penalty. [Tucker] didn’t get hit on the numbers, he got hit on the shoulder and spun into the boards.”

While Quinn refused to categorize the hit, fearing another $30,000 fine he received earlier this postseason for criticizing officials, Maple Leaf president Ken Dryden said, “It’s totally unfair.”

Alyn McCauley, who had a goal and an assist, had difficulty keeping his anger in check.

“Immediately, you’d like to go out and break somebody’s leg I think,” McCauley said. “But that’s not going to do any good, so we have to go out and try to win Game 6 in Ottawa.”

After the goal was allowed, the game was delayed for five minutes after the crowd littered the ice with cups and paper.