Francois Beauchemin scored the winning goal as Toronto edged the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on Monday night, giving the Maple Leafs their first win in three attempts this season over their provincial rivals.

Phil Kessel scored a beautiful goal for Toronto, besting Ottawa goalie Brian Elliot with a sharp shot to the short side on a breakaway. Jason Blake also scored for Toronto, while Mike Fisher and Jason Spezza replied for Ottawa.

Vesa Toskala made 22 saves, helping the Leafs (12-14-7) win their fourth consecutive home game in front of 19,315 fans at Air Canada Centre. Toskala has now won four of his last five starts, including four straight at ACC.

Beauchemin's game-winner came just over six minutes into the third period after Spezza had pulled the Sens even on a power play. He fired a hard, low shot that found the net.

Ottawa appeared to tie the game with 35 seconds left, but the referees waved the goal off when it was determined Jesse Winchester kicked the puck into the net.

Spezza's goal came after he took a pass from captain Daniel Alfredsson at the side of the net, hesitated for the puck for a moment, then slid it under Toskala to make it a 2-2 game.

The goal was just Spezza's fifth of the year and only his second on the road.

Toronto held a one-goal lead heading into the third period thanks to second-period goals from Blake and Kessel, who has scored in two consecutive games and 12 through 21 games this year.

Blake opened the scoring when he tore down the right side and slid a weak backhander through Elliot just 2:15 into the period.

Ottawa (16-12-4) got that one back when Fisher whacked home a loose puck Tomas Kaberle failed to clear from the side of the Toronto goal. Toskala had made a nice save on Foligno, who cut to the middle of the ice on a 2-on-1 and fired a hard shot from the slot.

Kaberle could have whisked the puck to safety, but Fisher got on top of him quickly and chopped the puck over Toskala.

But the Leafs were back in the lead just 59 seconds later when Kessel, after taking a great feed from Alexei Ponikarovsky, once again flashed the hands that have Toronto fans so excited.

NOTES: Toronto forward Mikhail Grabovski had his six-game point streak snapped. ... Toronto tough guy Colton Orr left the game and did not return after taking some tough punches from Matt Carkner during a second-period fight. ... Leafs defenceman Garnet Exelby, who had one point coming into the game, picked up two assists. ... Sophomore Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. ... Elliot made his 12th straight start for Ottawa as starter Pascal Leclaire continues to nurse a fractured cheekbone.