Ryan’s goal salvages Game 3

• Bobby Ryan played the role of hero Monday night.

And, the Ottawa Senators were able to overcome a meltdown in Beantown.

That loud sigh of relief you heard Monday came from the TD Garden after the Senators blew a three-goal lead in the second period and managed to skate away with a 4-3 overtime win to take a 2-1 firstround series lead over the Boston Bruins.

The Senators were able to get up off the mat after Ryan scored the winner at 5: 43 of OT on the power play to deliver the knockout punch to the Bruins.

Though t he Senators pushed the pace and dominated a lot of play, goaltender Craig Anderson struggled as David Pastrnak, David Backes and Noel Acciari tied it up in the second period. Two goals by Mike Hoffman and Derick Brassard’s second of the playoffs on Tuukka Rask had given the Senators a 3- 0 lead.

Despite outshooting the Bruins 18- 10 through 40 minutes, the two teams were tied 3-3 going into the third.

After Ottawa pulled out to the 3- 0 lead early in the second, the Bruins came charging back to erase the deficit and Pastrnak tied it up on the power play with 6:09 left in the second on a shot that beat Anderson stick side. That goal for Boston came at the end of a short 5-on-3 after the Senators took back- toback penalties.

There is no question the Senators got off to the kind of start by outshooting the Bruins 10-3 and taking a 2- 0 lead in the first. The Bruins had only one shot in the last 16 minutes of the period and couldn’t get any traction against Ottawa.