OTTAWA -- While the Ottawa Senators have slipped from playoff contention, one line has emerged as a constant positive.

And Saturday night at Canadian Tire Centre, the combination of Zack Smith, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mark Stone stepped up again.

Stone had a goal and two assists, Smith scored for the fifth consecutive game and Pageau chipped in with three helpers as the Senators halted a three-game losing streak by blanking the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0.

"I don't know, we're just three guys playing simple hockey and finding chemistry," Stone said. "I think when you find that chemistry it's easy to come to the rink and be comfortable on the ice. I think if you look at those two guys, they're comfortable with me and I'm comfortable with them."

Cody Ceci and Mika Zibanejad had the other Senators' goals, while Craig Anderson made 29 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and 33rd of his career.

Rookie Garret Sparks stopped just 13 shots in the Leafs net.

"I don't think we were competitive enough," said Leafs coach Mike Babcock, who added that his top line, centered by Nazim Kadri, was badly outplayed, "In the end, that was the game.

"We didn't execute as well as I would have liked in the defensive zone. I didn't think we gave up a ton but what we did was make three big mistakes for glorious chances. there were able to capitalize and I didn't think we make it very hard on Anderson at all."

Zibanejad scored his 15th of the season early in the first and Ceci notched his eighth just 19 seconds into the second for the Senators to take a 2-0 lead into the final 20 minutes.

Any thoughts of a Leafs comeback were nixed when Smith delivered his 21st of the season 1:21 into the final period, while Stone closed out the scoring off a 2-on-1 with Pageau with less than five minutes remaining.

The Senators, who were defeated 6-2 in Florida Thursday, were pleased with their bounce-back effort.

"I think we're all proud guys, and we were embarrassed the other night, so we all knew we had to respond in the right way," said Anderson. "We did that tonight. What I really liked was our attention to detail.

"Tonight was an excellent game by all 20 guys. From the drop of the puck in the first period, all the way to the end."

Along with his run of five-in-five games, Smith now has a career-high 21 goals that includes nine in his last dozen games and 12 in his last 18.

"It's nice to get on a little roll and have some fun with some chemistry," Smith said. "Tonight we got a couple of good bounces, on my goal for example. Nice little rebound ... Stoney left that for me and I was able to just knock it in. But I thought we worked hard to get our chances, especially the last goal. Pressure them hard enough and they're going to turn the puck over and we'll get chances."

The 30th-place Leafs are dealing with a slew of injuries, but defenseman Morgan Rielly said that's no excuse.

"We had a chance to practice together a bunch and we've played a couple of games together," said Rielly. "There's no excuses having new faces and new bodies in the lineup. It's your job to come to work and compete and I think there were times when we did compete. You have to do it for 60 minutes and not just hot and cold. That's what got us tonight."

That, and a poor start.

"The first period wasn't good enough," winger P.A. Parenteau said. "Nowhere near good enough, actually, but the second and third we played better. We didn't give them much. They took advantage of their scoring chances and we didn't in the second and third and that was a big difference there.

"It was a rough game for pretty much everyone tonight. No one played a good game."

Meanwhile, Senators coach Dave Cameron saw "much better game management, puck management" from his team.

"The only thing tonight that I would have liked to have seen more of was shots at the net," said Cameron. "I still thought we passed up too many shots looking for the Grade A chances. But overall I'm happy."

NOTES: Toronto W Milan Michalek played his first game against the Senators since being traded by Ottawa in mid-February as part of the package for D Dion Phaneuf. Michalek spent Friday night with his wife and son, who have remained in Ottawa. ... Maple Leafs W Colin Greening, who was also involved in the deal, was playing his first game in Ottawa against the Senators. Greening was in the lineup when Ottawa visited Toronto last weekend. ... Maple Leafs G Garrett Sparks made his third consecutive start, the longest stretch he's played at the NHL level. ... Senators D Patrick Wiercioch was back in the press box after playing Thursday in Florida. Wiercioch has been scratched eight of the last 10 games. ... Senators D Chris Wideman returned to the lineup, taking Wiercioch's place. ... Senators LW Matt Puempel was a healthy scratch for the fifth time in the seven games since he was recalled from Binghamton.