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OTTAWA (AP) - The Ottawa Senators are done with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the season, which might make everyone involved quite happy.
Daniel Alfredsson netted his career-high 38th goal and assisted on another as Ottawa became the first team to reach 100 points this season with a 5-2 win Tuesday night over the lowly Penguins.
Antoine Vermette scored Ottawa's NHL-best 21st short-handed goal, and rookie defenseman Andrej Meszaros had a power-play goal and helped set up one by Chris Neil as the Senators scored four special-teams goals.
"It was good to get the first one right away," said Alfredsson, who opened the scoring with a power-play goal 2:33 in.
Chris Kelly also scored and Ray Emery made 21 saves for Ottawa, winners of 11 of 13 games.
Pittsburgh's Eric Cairns was assessed five penalties totaling 40 minutes - including a double game misconduct - at the end of the second period. Cairns, who got a major for spearing Zdeno Chara, was also assessed a fighting major and a misconduct. Chara was given a fighting major and a misconduct.
"I got speared twice, so that's why I reacted like I reacted," Chara said.
Tomas Surovy scored Pittsburgh's second goal in the third and fought with Meszaros late in the period after the Senators defenseman collided awkwardly with Sidney Crosby.
"This is one thing for our team, we're sticking up for each other and I think he did the right thing there," Penguins coach Michel Therrien said.
Crosby didn't know what to make of the hit.
"You'd have to ask him, honestly," Crosby said. "The puck was there and I just went toward it."
Meszaros blamed the collision on Crosby's attempt to avoid his check.
"He kind of moved so I hit his knee," Meszaros said. "I was kind of low but I didn't want to hurt him, I just wanted to hit him, that's it."
Pittsburgh rookie Colby Armstrong scored a short-handed goal for the Penguins, who lost their sixth in a row to the Senators. Ottawa swept the four-game season series.
Penguins goalie Sebastien Caron turned aside 13 shots as Ottawa outshot Pittsburgh 14-5 in the first. Armstrong tied it 1-1 at 6:56 of the second with Jani Rita in the penalty box.
Meszaros didn't allow the Penguins much time to celebrate as he scored his seventh goal 17 seconds later for the Senators' second power-play goal to make it 2-1 at 7:13.
Caron stopped Alfredsson after he came out of the penalty box, but the Senators captain set up Kelly, who scored his eighth at 12:31.
Neil made it 4-1 with his 15th goal 3:39 into the third.
Surovy drew the Penguins to within 4-2 with an unassisted effort at 8:42, but Vermette scored his fifth short-handed goal of the season at 15:08, tying Alfredsson and Atlanta's Marian Hossa for the league lead.
Notes: Russ Anderson holds the Penguins' records for penalties and penalties minutes, both in one period and in a game. Against Edmonton on Jan. 19, 1980, Anderson was assessed eight penalties totaling 46 minutes in the same period, and had nine penalties and 51 minutes for the game. ... Caron stopped Senators C Tyler Arnason on a penalty shot 13:35 into the second. ... Ottawa D Anton Volchenkov left the game and didn't return after he was checked by Eric Boguniecki in the first. ... All of the Senators' wins over Pittsburgh this season have come since Feb. 2. ... Ottawa is 39-0-2 when it leads after two periods. Pittsburgh is 0-35-9 when it trails after two. ... Alfredsson had 37 goals in 2001-02.
Other games on March 21, 2006
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