Rangers bounce back into series vs Senators

Mats Zuccarello scored the first of four straight New York goals as the Rangers rolled to a crucial 4-1 victory in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.

Rick Nash, Michael Grabner and Oscar Lindberg also scored for New York, which bounced back after losing 6-5 in overtime to Ottawa in Game 2.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for Ottawa after recording four goals in Game 2, including the overtime winner. Craig Anderson allowed four goals on 30 shots for the Senators, who hold a 2-1 series lead.

Meanwhile, in one of the most physical games of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Nashville Predators edged the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on Tuesday to take a 3-1 series lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series.

Ryan Ellis and James Neal scored third-period goals to put Nashville up 2-0.

Ellis pounced on the rebound of a Colin Wilson shot at 5:09 during a power play, slotting a wrister under Scottie Upshall and to the right of diving goaltender Jake Allen for his fourth goal of the playoffs. It marked the seventh straight game in which Ellis scored, tying the franchise record set by Colin Wilson last spring.

Neal supplied the game-winner at 13:03, corralling a loose puck at the top of the right circle and firing a wrister that beat Allen to the stick side for his second goal of the playoffs.

Joel Edmundson replied for the Blues at 16:11, but it wasn’t enough.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, minus injured captain Sidney Crosby and up 2-1 in the series, hosted the Washington Capitals late Wednesday night, while the Edmonton Oilers also took a 2-1 series lead into their Game 3 clash with the Anaheim Ducks in a game that ended after press time.