Max Pacioretty scored the tiebreaking goal with less than six minutes remaining, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a series-clinching 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night in Game 6 of their first-round matchup.

The Ottawa Senators are still alive but facing elimination again Thursday night as they resume their NHL Eastern Conference Playoffs series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Pacioretty’s tale is one of endurance. He signed a one-year, incentive-laden contract with Toronto prior to the season following a pair of Achilles injuries that limited him to five games during the 2022-23 season and kept him out until Jan. 3, 2024, when he returned to play 47 games with the Washington Capitals.