Music: {allcanada} Kessel's hat trick powers Maple Leafs past Senators

Saturday, February 1, 2014

{allcanada} Kessel's hat trick powers Maple Leafs past Senators

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TORONTO -- Phil Kessel is making scoring look easy.

Kessel completed his fifth career hat trick by scoring the go-ahead goal with 5:58 remaining in regulation, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-3 victory against the Ottawa Senators at Air Canada Center on Saturday night.

Kessel's third goal of the night and 30th of the season came after he took advantage of a misplayed puck behind the net by Senators goalie Craig Anderson and snapped a 3-3 tie. He reached the 30-goal mark for the sixth time in his career and moved into second place in the goal-scoring race behind Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who has 38.

Kessel also set up Tyler Bozak's 11th goal of the season with 1:23 left in regulation before Nazem Kadri hit the empty net with 29 seconds left to complete a four-goal third period for Toronto (30-21-6), which has won nine of its past 11 games. Kessel has 23 points in his past 12 games.

Joffrey Lupul scored the other goal for the Maple Leafs, who got 23 saves from Jonathan Bernier.

Chris Neil scored twice and set up Colin Greening's goal for Ottawa (24-21-10), which couldn't hold an early two-goal lead. Anderson stopped 31 shots

Neil put the Senators in front with 53 seconds left in the first period when he used defenseman Morgan Rielly as a screen and beat Bernier. Greening doubled the lead 6:46 into the second period when he finished off Neil's pass on a 2-on-1 break.

Kessel finally woke up the packed house at Air Canada Centre at 13:01 when he got the Maple Leafs on the board. James van Riemsdyk sent a pass across the crease and Kessel beat defenseman Jared Cowen to the front of the net before snapping the puck into the net.

Lupul tied it 1:38 later with his 17th of the season, a one-timer from in front after a quick pass by Kadri behind the net. Kadri got the puck loose after delivering a hit on Senators defenseman Cody Ceci.

Kessel gave the Maple Leafs their first lead with a power-play goal 7:34 into the third period. With defenseman Patrick Wiercioch off for holding, Kessel skated into the slot and fired a wrist shot over the glove of Anderson for his second goal of the game.

The Senators tied the game at 9:06 when Neil managed to sneak the puck across the goal line. Bernier thought he had Neil's quick shot trapped under his pads. But a video review determined that the puck crossed the goal line before the whistle, giving Neil his eighth goal of the season and third point of the night.

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