Josh Norris scored nine seconds into overtime as the Ottawa Senators concluded their pandemic-shortened season with a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
Auston Matthews replied with his NHL-best 41st goal of the season for Toronto (35-13-7), while Jake Muzzin, with a goal and an assist, and John Tavares also scored. Frederik Andersen made 24 saves in his return to the lineup following an eight-week injury absence for the North Division’s No. 1 seed.
Toronto star Mitch Marner turned the puck over off the faceoff to start overtime to Brady Tkachuk, who in turn fed Norris to bag his 17th.
WATCH | Norris lifts Senators over Leafs:
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Ottawa edges Toronto 4-3 with Josh Norrris’ winner 9 seconds into overtime. 1:16
The Leafs close out their regular-season schedule Friday in Winnipeg against the Jets before opening the playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens next week — the first post-season meeting between the Original Six rivals since 1979.
Andersen played in the NHL for the first time since March 19 because of an injury “around” one of his knees that cost him 23 games. The 31-year-old made two AHL appearances as part of a conditioning stint to get back up to speed.
The rebuilding Senators started the 56-game season a dismal 2-12-1 thanks in large part to some horrendous goaltending, but went 21-16-4 — good for third in the North over that span — after the crease situation improved and the organization handed its young core increased responsibility.
Despite having a fairly quite night, Matthews tied the game for Toronto with 2:40 left in the third period when he buried his 41st of the campaign before Norris won it.
WATCH | The history of the Leafs-Habs rivalry:
It’s official, the Leafs and Habs will meet in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 1979. Rob Pizzo goes back over 100 years into the archives to examine hockey’s oldest rivalry. 4:28
The home side opened the scoring with 68 seconds left in Wednesday’s first period when Zaitsev’s shot from long range found its way through a screen and off Andersen’s far post for the former Toronto blue-liner’s fourth.
The Leafs, who clinched first in the division on Saturday, got even at 6:01 of the second when Muzzin’s one-timer chimed in off iron for his fourth, and just the visitors’ fifth power-play goal since March 11.
Kelly then opened his NHL account at 12:12 when he banked a shot off Andersen moments after getting rocked along the boards. The undrafted free-agent forward, who played four seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders before signing with Ottawa in 2017, became the sixth Senators rookie to score his first NHL goal in 2021.
The Leafs got back within one with 3:31 left in the second when Tavares took a pass from Nylander, who extended his point streak to eight games, and beat Gustavsson for his 19th of the campaign.