Antoine Vermette scored three goals and the Ottawa Senators moved within a point of wrapping up a playoff berth with an 8-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight. The Senators, who scored three short-handed goals, can clinch a playoff spot with at least one point Friday night when they close out the regular season at home to Boston.
Ottawa might have to play without captain Daniel Alfredsson, who left Thursday's game with what the team called an upper body injury following a hit by Toronto's Mark Bell. The Senators also lost forward Mike Fisher to a knee injury earlier in the game. That was the low point of an otherwise great night for Ottawa, reports the AP. (More NHL stories.)