NHL playoffs: Rangers win in overtime, 2-1

Kevin Hayes scored at 3:14 of overtime to give the New York Rangers a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night and a 3-1 edge in the Eastern Conference first-round series at Pittsburgh.

Game 5 will be in New York on Friday night.

In overtime, Martin St. Louis started a goalmouth scramble when he threw the puck in front on a wraparound attempt. The puck pinballed to Carl Hagelin and went across the crease for Hayes to flip it past fallen goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. The point was Hayes’ first in the postseason.

Pittsburgh’s Patric Hornqvist opened the scoring at 2:22 of the first period. Derick Brassard tied it at 1 with 2:45 left in the second period with his third goal of the series.

Fleury and New York’s Henrik Lundqvist each made 22 saves.

St. Louis 6, at Minnesota 1: Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and the revived Blues sent Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk to an early exit and thoroughly dominated the Wild to even the series at 2-2.

Kevin Shattenkirk had three assists and Jake Allen made 17 saves to help the Blues end a nine-game postseason road losing streak that lasted more than three years.

Patrik Berglund had a goal and an assist, and David Backes and Paul Stastny scored for the first time in the series. So did fourth-line right wing Ryan Reaves, whose one-timer from the point got past Dubnyk’s glove to give the Blues the early lead. By the middle of the first period, they had a 3-0 lead after being shut out in Game 3.

at Ottawa 1, Montreal 0: Mike Hoffman scored midway through the third period and the Senators avoided elimination.

Craig Anderson made 28 saves to help the Senators cut Montreal’s lead to 3-1 in the Eastern Conference series.

Only four teams have come back to win when trailing 3-0 in a series: Toronto in 1942, the New York Islanders in 1975, Philadelphia in 2010 and the Kings in 2014.

Carey Price stopped 31 shots for the Canadiens.

Senators Coach Dave Cameron moved Hoffman from the fourth line to the second unit with Mika Zibanejad and Bobby Ryan during the first period. It paid off in the third when Cody Ceci kept Tom Gilbert’s clearing attempt in at the point and fed the rookie in the left circle for quick shot that beat Price at 9:05.

It was the fourth straight game the Senators scored first, but this time, the Canadiens didn’t answer.

Anderson, who made 47 saves in his series debut in Game 3, was strong again for the Senators. He sprawled to force Brandon Prust to slam the puck against the side of the net during a short-handed breakaway late in the second.

Ottawa had the better chances on two second-period power plays, with Price stoning Hoffman from the doorstep and then robbing Clarke MacArthur from the slot.