It's the third and final Battle of Ontario of the season and the Senators (35-25-5) have won both this season and the past four matchups overall against the Maple Leafs (39-23-3). The Senators have won five in a row and occupy the first wild card in the East and are seeking to end a seven-season playoff drought.

The protagonist, it turned out, was Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who earned a place in NHL history. He recorded his 424th career victory as the Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2. The win moved Bobrovsky into sole possession of 10th place on the league’s all-time wins list, surpassing Hall of Famer Tony Esposito.

Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (25), Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Alex Nylander (92) and right wing William Nylander (88) go for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) AP