OTTAWA, Ontario — Mark Stone scored 2:43 into overtime to cap Ottawa’s comeback from three goals down in a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night to preserve the Senators’ playoff hopes.
Stone also scored in the third period, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mike Hoffman had the Senators’ other goals. Andrew Hammond had 25 saves for Ottawa, which played its final home game of the season.
Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist had a goal and an assist each for the Penguins, and Beau Bennett scored for the first time in 31 games. Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 40 saves.
The Senators moved into a tie with the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins have a game in hand and the tiebreaker between the two teams with more regulation plus overtime wins. Ottawa trails Pittsburgh, which holds the first wild-card spot, by one point.
Stone pulled the Senators to 3-2 in the opening minute of the third period with his 23rd of the season. It extended his points streak to seven games (five goals, four assists).
Hammond was pulled for the extra attacker with just over 2 minutes remaining, and Ottawa took advantage as Hoffman tied it with 1:48 to go.
Ottawa outshot Pittsburgh 18-3 in the third period.
The Penguins scored all their goals in the first period. Crosby opened the scoring on the opening faceoff as he took a pass from Hornqvist and easily beat Hammond just 10 seconds in.
Just over 5 minutes later the Penguins made it 2-0 on Bennett’s goal. Hammond was knocked down leaving Bennett with a wide-open net.
Pittsburgh made it 3-0 on a lucky bounce at the 14-minute mark. Hammond made a big save on Crosby, but the puck went up and then bounced in.
The Senators finally got on the board with a short-handed goal with 5:19 remaining in the second as Pageau came down the ice and took a shot. His rebound went in off Derrick Pouliot.
Thumbnail photo via Justin Tang/The Associated Press
