SPORTS

Senators beat Bruins 4-3 in OT to claim series lead

Gethin Coolbaugh The Canadian Press
Published Monday, April 17, 2017 10:29PM EDT

Ottawa Senators right wing Bobby Ryan beats Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask for the game winning goal during overtime in Game 3 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series in Boston on Monday, April 17, 2017. (AP / Charles Krupa)

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BOSTON - Bobby Ryan scored the winner on a power play 5:43 into overtime as the Ottawa Senators beat the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Monday night to take a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference quarter-final series.

Ryan tipped the puck past Rask off a pass from Kyle Turris. Ottawa was awarded the man advantage when Boston's Riley Nash was whistled for roughing 4:38 into overtime after throwing a punch at Ryan.

It is the second straight game in the series that has gone to overtime, with Dion Phaneuf scoring 1:59 in Saturday's extra period to send the Sens to a 4-3 victory in Game 2.

Mike Hoffman scored two goals and Derick Brassard added another for the Senators. Craig Anderson made 17 saves.

Noel Acciari, David Backes and David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins while Tuukka Rask had 28 stops.

Game 4 is Wednesday in Boston.

Hoffman polished off a breakaway after a lengthy saucer pass from Erik Karlsson to put Ottawa up 1-0 at 7:40 of the opening period.

Brassard struck 25 seconds later, hammering home a tip from Ryan after Viktor Stalberg's pass from behind the net, making it 2-0.

The Bruins managed three shots on goal in the first and just one in the final 16:18 of the period, and neither side got off a shot in the last 9:47.

Hoffman's power-play snipe 3:42 into the second put the Sens ahead 3-0.

For the second straight game, the Bruins erupted for three goals in the second to bring a sold out TD Garden crowd of 17,565 to life.

Acciari, making his playoff debut, scored on a redirect at 6:05 to cut the deficit to 3-1. Backes stole the puck and netted another goal 42 seconds later to make it 3-2.

Pastrnak tied it with his first career playoff goal on a wrister seconds after the Bruins' 5-on-3 advantage ended at 13:51.

Anderson stopped all nine shots Boston sent his way in the third and Rask brushed aside seven to send the game to overtime.

David Krejci returned for the Bruins after missing the first two games of the series with an upper-body injury. Colin Miller skated during warmups but missed his second straight game after suffering a lower-body injury in Game 1.

Notes: Sens D Ben Harpur made his playoff debut, replacing Mark Borowiecki after he suffered a lower-body injury in Game 2. ... Karlsson was not on the ice for Monday's morning skate. "He never needs to practice," coach Guy Boucher said. ... Boston D Tommy Cross also made his playoff debut.