TORONTO - There were two heroes in Air Canada Centre on Saturday night.

Tomas Kaberle scored his second goal of the game 3:55 into overtime to rescue a 5-4 victory for the Toronto Maple Leafs after they'd blown a 4-1 lead against Pittsburgh.

Julie Beattie of Burlington, a nurse at Hamilton's McMaster University Hospital wearing a Darcy Tucker sweater, was quick to administer CPR on a fan who collapsed from an apparent heart attack about the same time the Penguins' Ryan Whitney tied the score with four seconds remaining in the third period. The start of overtime was delayed 15 minutes while paramedics continued resuscitation efforts and the man was taken to hospital.

The Whitney goal, the life-and-death drama in the stands, Kaberle's winning shot to keep Toronto in the hunt for a playoff berth . . . it was a traumatic night.

"It was difficult for both teams and everyone in the building,'' Maurice said of watching the resuscitation. "When you add that to the incredible emotional rollercoaster we've been on . . . ''

On the fallen fan's status, Maurice said, "What we have at this point is positive.''

Said Kaberle: "It's something you don't want to see out there. We're glad the person is okay.''

Toronto remained ninth in the East with 87 points as Montreal edged Buffalo 4-3 to retain the eighth and final qualifying spot with 88. The Leafs have four games remaining and the Canadiens three.

"We didn't care if Pittsburgh got a point, but we knew we couldn't afford to lose points to teams we're fighting for the playoffs with,'' said Maurice.

Chad Kilger, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Bryan McCabe and Kaberle supplied the Leafs' goals during regulation time in front of the largest crowd in franchise history _ 19,649. It was Toronto's seventh straight home win. The Leafs improved to 6-2-2 in their last 10.

Yet, they remained ninth.

Also scoring for Pittsburgh were Gary Roberts, Maxime Talbot and Sidney Crosby, who got his 36th to pad his league-leading points total to 117.

"In the second half of the game, we carried the play,'' said Crosby. "It hurt us to fall behind by three but we showed a lot of character in coming back.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said he didn't see Kaberle's winning shot from the blue-line.

"There was a defenceman in front of him and it went between his legs,'' Kaberle said of his low shot from the blue-line.

The Leafs play the Rangers in New York on Sunday night.

"It's an exciting time,'' Kaberle said following his fifth game back after missing eight with a concussion. "I'm happy to be back with the team and enjoying the race for the playoffs.''

Kilger opened the scoring at 4:28 when he got an open invitation to the puck after Jocelyn Thibault stopped a Kyle Wellwood shot and it dropped into the vacated crease.

Roberts tied it at 6:54 on a power play. The former Leaf raised his stick knee high to deflect Sergei Gonchar's slapper from the point past Andrew Raycroft.

Ponikarovsky put Toronto ahead 2-1 at 18:30 when he redirected a cross-ice Nik Antropov pass, and Kaberle made it 3-1 at 3:08 of the second period when he blasted in a low slap shot from the blue-line.

McCabe made it 4-1 at 11:49 on a power play. Thibault stopped a Mats Sundin shot and McCabe slammed in the rebound.

Fleury replaced Thibault, who allowed four goals on 20 shots.

The Leafs were in control until Michel Ouellet served up a pinpoint cross-ice pass that Talbot redirected past Raycroft at 16:31.

The Leafs survived a minute-long, two-man disadvantage early in the third but the Penguins upped the pace. Battling with New Jersey for first in the Atlantic, they didn't want to leave Toronto without a point.

Crosby shovelled in a rebound as he was falling to the ice with 4:38 remaining, setting up a nailbiter of a finish. Whitney's stunning slap shot tied it, and Kaberle ended it.

It was yet another must-win game for the Leafs.

"Yeah, just like last week and the week before and the week before that,'' said Raycroft. "It'd be nice to reel off a few more wins.

"The bottom line is, if we win our games, we're good.''

Raycroft said he at first thought the mayhem in the seats might be a fight.

"But I looked over and the lady was giving the pumps and your stomach turns,'' he said. "It's a scary thing.

"It would have been nice to have (the game) over with and not have to play some more hockey because it kind of pales in comparison.''

After the Rangers, Toronto plays at home Tuesday against Philadelphia, goes to Long Island to play the Islanders on Thursday and finishes up at home against the Canadiens on Saturday.

"There's been times this season when we've bent a little bit but we've put ourselves into position to still make the playoffs,'' said Tucker.