MIAMI — Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad had surgery Monday and is likely done for the season, meaning the Panthers will have to continue their playoff push without one of their best players.

The Panthers said Ekblad will need 12 weeks to recover. They didn’t reveal the extent of the damage – hockey teams are rarely specific on injuries – and the team only went as far as to say he had surgery to “repair a fracture in his lower extremities.”

But it was evident when he got hurt Sunday night at Dallas that it was a serious matter, and Monday’s announcement only confirmed that.

The playoffs start in the second week of May, and the Stanley Cup final will likely begin in late June or early July.

The Panthers are third in the Central Division, just two points behind first-place Tampa Bay. They haven’t won a playoff series since 1996.

“He was great this year,” Panthers Coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday. “I think he had so many games where he was dominant defensively, his offensive contributions joining the attack, adding a different dimension to our power play, significant minutes, matchups, controlling the outcomes of games. You couldn’t ask for anything more.”

MONDAY’S GAMES

FLYERS 4, SABRES 3: Ivan Provorov scored 42 seconds into overtime, and visiting Philadelphia overcame a three-goal deficit to extend Buffalo’s winless skid to 18.

The Flyers scored three times in the third period, with Sean Couturier forcing overtime by tipping in Provorov’s point shot with 1:29 left and Philadelphia’s net empty for an extra attacker.

OILERS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2: Darnell Nurse scored 17 seconds into overtime and visiting Edmonton defeated Toronto in the ninth and final regular-season meeting between the teams.

After Oilers goalie Mike Smith stopped Auston Matthews on a 2-on-1 break right off the faceoff of the extra period, the Oilers broke the other way, with Connor McDavid passing to Nurse for his 12th goal of the season.

Josh Archibald and Kyle Turris scored in regulation for Edmonton, while Smith stopped 29 shots.

Matthews, with his NHL-leading 23rd goal, and Mitch Marner scored for Toronto.

PENGUINS 2, ISLANDERS 1: Casey DeSmith made 19 saves in relief of starter Tristan Jarry, and Pittsburgh won at home.

Jarry left after the first period and DeSmith held the Islanders at bay as Pittsburgh pulled even with the Islanders for second place in the East Division by beating them for the sixth time in eight meetings.