Tavares allayed fears about a potential health issue when he returned to the game just before Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson scored the game-winning goal. Following Toronto's loss, Maple Leafs forward William Nylander and head coach Craig Berube provided encouraging observations about Tavares' status.

Defenseman Jake Sanderson scored on a long wrist shot from the left boards at 17:42 of overtime and the Ottawa Senators beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Saturday night to force a fifth game in the first-round series.

Toronto missed a chance for its first sweep since beating Ottawa in the 2001 first round, and will host Game 5 on Tuesday night.