Sanderson scores in OT as Senators beat Maple Leafs 4-3 to avoid sweep

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — 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.

Sanderson kept the puck in at the blue line and fired the wrist shot that sailed through traffic and past goalie Anthony Stolarz into the top, right corner.

“Crazy atmosphere,” Sanderson said. “It’s pretty awesome.”

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Toronto.

The teams needed extra time for the third straight game, with Ottawa finally breaking though after 3-2 overtime losses in Games 2 and 3. Toronto missed a chance for its first sweep since beating Ottawa in the 2001 first round.

“Our special teams could have been a little bit better,” Knies said. “In overtime, it’s going to be a bounce or a dirty goal. It went their way.”

Ottawa killed a four-minute power play in overtime after Drake Batherson was given a double minor for high-sticking Toronto defenseman Chris Tanev.

“Any time a team like Toronto gets a four-minute power play, you know you’re in one,” Senators coach Travis Green said. “A lot of credit to our penalty kill. They really got the job done. Gutsy effort.”

Toronto defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson tied it with 5:29 left in regulation. He beat Linus Ullmark from the right side off William Nylander's cross pass.

“I think, obviously, we had a lot of chances,” Ekman-Larsson said. “We had a power play that we could have done some damage but they killed it off.”

David Perron gave Ottawa 3-2 lead at 7:32 of the third period. After Brady Tkachuk bowled over Maple Leafs forward Pontus Holmberg near the Ottawa net, the Senators rushed the other way, with Artem Zub slipping the puck down low for Perron to tap it past Stolarz.

Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto added goals for Ottawa. Ullmark made 31 saves.

John Tavares and Matthew Knies also scored for Toronto. Stolarz stopped 17 shots.

Ottawa took a 2-0 lead in the first period, with Stutzle scoring on a power play at 9:03 and Pinto following with 5:49 left.

Tavares pulled Toronto within one with 55 seconds left in the first with his third of the series. Knies tied it with 9:48 left in the second, also scoring his third goal of the series.

Ottawa won a playoff game for the first time since the 2017 Eastern Conference final. Only four NHL teams have come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series — the 1942 Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders, the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers and the 2014 Los Angeles Kings.

Toronto Maple Leafs' Scott Laughton (24) tries to get the puck past Ottawa Senators' Tim Stutzle (18) as goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) guards the net, during third period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Brady Tkachuk (7) knocks Toronto Maple Leafs' Pontus Holmberg (29) off his skates, after Holmberg's shot on goaltender Linus Ullmark (35), during third period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

The referee, left, touches the face of Toronto Maple Leafs' Chris Tanev (8) who shows blood on his fingers, leading to a double minor penalty against Ottawa Senators' Drake Batherson during overtime of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Fabian Zetterlund (20) and Toronto Maple Leafs' Brandon Carlo (25) watch as the puck goes past Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) on a shot by Senators' Jake Sanderson (not shown) during overtime of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) celebrates after his winning goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson (85) celebrates his game winning goal with teammates Fabian Zetterlund (20) and Claude Giroux (28) during overtime NHL playoff action in Ottawa, on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Members of the Ottawa Senators celebrate after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime NHL playoff action in Ottawa, on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies (23) scores on Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during second period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Matthew Knies (23) celebrates after his goal against the Ottawa Senators with Auston Matthews (34) during the second period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) watches as Ottawa Senators' Tim Stutzle (18) loses the puck after being checked by Maple Leafs' Morgan Rielly (44) during the second period of Game 4 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series in Ottawa, Ontario, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Simon Benoit (2) collides with Ottawa Senators' Dylan Cozens (24) during third period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' Adam Gaudette (81) battles with Toronto Maple Leafs' Steven Lorentz (18) along the boards during third period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) celebrates his goal against the Ottawa Senators with Bobby McMann (74), Jake McCabe (22), and John Tavares (91) as Ottawa Senators' Tim Stutzle (18) and Artem Zub (2) skate away, during third period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) keeps the puck out of the net during third period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' David Perron (57) celebrates his goal with Adam Gaudette (81) and Brady Tkachuk (7) after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs during third period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ottawa Senators' David Perron (57) celebrates his goal with Adam Gaudette (81) and Brady Tkachuk (7) after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs during third period NHL playoff action in Ottawa, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Close to grabbing a franchise record all for himself, Kawhi Leonard elected to take a pass in order to be fresh for another day.

Team-oriented to the core, Leonard was actually a bit selfish by request Sunday, scoring a career-high 55 points to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to a 112-99 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons.

The Clippers are now on a season-best four-game winning streak and a recent scoring burst from Leonard is the primary reason.

Leonard was told by head coach Tyronn Lue he was closing in on the franchise scoring record but decided to keep his fourth-quarter floor time to a modest six minutes and departed with just under a minute remaining.

He now shares the team mark for points in a game with teammate James Harden.

“Like I told (Lue), I would rather play another game than go out there and risk it,” Leonard said. “Hopefully we can get another win and be in the same situation. It is what it is.”

Harden teased Leonard afterward that it took him long enough to pull off a 50-point game, while also shouting “double nickels,” in the locker room afterward. Leonard is in his 14th season.

“It was a beautiful thing to see how efficient, how effortless it was,” Harden said. “It was just so smooth. He got to whatever spot he wanted to and once you get to that spot it’s not even about the defender. It’s about him making the shot.

“Overly happy for him because behind the scenes you watch somebody and how hard they work. ... For him, what he had to battle through just to go out there and be himself was a beautiful thing to see.”

Slowed by knee injuries in recent years, Leonard missed 10 games earlier this season with ankle and foot issues. He finally reached 40 minutes in a game during a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last week that started the winning streak. He did it again in a victory Friday.

He went 17 of 26 from the floor against the Pistons and 16 of 17 from the free-throw line while playing 39 minutes.

“He’s finally getting healthy and finally being able to play enough minutes to be very effective,” Lue said. “When he’s healthy, he’s one of the top guys in the league. We’ve been able to see that of late.”

With a 41-point game Tuesday against the Houston Rockets, Leonard is the second player in franchise history to score at least 40 points in back-to-back home games along with Bob McAdoo.

Leonard scored 26 points in the third quarter alone Sunday, but he also missed his lone free throw of the night in the period. It not only was the point he needed to set the franchise scoring record, the miss ended his franchise-record run at 64 consecutive made free throws.

“I’ve never really kind of been in this situation,” said Leonard, who is averaging 39.0 points over the last four games. “I’m more trying to get guys the ball and sharing it more than what I have been doing. But the coaches need me to be aggressive the entire game.

“It’s just a different evolution of me trying to shoot more 3s and trying to evolve my game to today’s game.”

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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard controls the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives the ball while under pressure from Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard dunks during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard controls the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)