TORONTO – Mats Sundin scored and had an assist and the Toronto Maple Leafs posted a 5-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

To remain in playoff contention, Toronto needed Carolina to beat Tampa Bay later Friday night. The Maple Leafs are 8-0-2 run in their last 10 games in a bid to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since Pat Quinn became coach in 1999.

Third-string goalie Jean-Sebastien Aubin helped Toronto get back into contention – playing his first 10 games of the season after coming up from the minors. He had 30 saves against Ottawa.

Tomas Kaberle, Matt Stajan, Chad Kilger and Nik Antropov also scored for Toronto.

Dany Heatley scored his 49th goal for the Senators, who are battling Carolina for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

But Ottawa continues to struggle against rival Toronto when it matters most. The Senators won their previous seven games against the Maple Leafs this season, but Toronto has knocked them out of the playoffs four times in the previous five seasons.

Kaberle scored on Toronto’ first shot of the game, a power-play goal at 1:01 of the first.

Toronto broke it open in the second with four goals.

Stajan scored his sixth goal in the past 10 games with a one-timer from the side of the net on the power-play at 5:44 of the second.

Kilger converted a Darcy Tucker’s behind the net pass, giving Toronto a 3-0 lead at 16:32.

Just over a minute later, Sundin – alone at the side of the net – scored to make it 4-0 – his 12th goal in the last 10 games.

Antropov made it 5-0 1:10 later with a wrist shot from in from of the net.

Heatley scored from the side of the net, cutting it to 5-1 at 6:06 of the third.

Ottawa has lost five of six.

Notes: Ottawa’s Martin Havlat returned to the lineup for the first time since injuring his right shoulder on Nov. 29. … The Maple Leafs showed a video of their 7-0-2 stretch on the videoboard before the game. … Tucker and Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson tussled in the third. … Ottawa enforcer Chris Neil challenged Toronto enforcer Tie Domi to a fight late in the third, but Domi didn’t drop the gloves. He got a 2-minute penalty for hooking and a 10-minute misconduct.

AP-ES-04-15-06 2144EDT


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