NHL: Ottawa 4, Pittsburgh 3 (3OT)

PITTSBURGH, April 23 (UPI) -- Matt Carkner scored 7:06 into the third overtime Thursday and Ottawa stayed alive in the playoffs with a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins had a chance to end the series, but the Senators reduced their deficit to 3-2 thanks in part to an amazing 56 saves by Pascal Leclaire. Ottawa will try to draw even in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals when it hosts Game 6 on Saturday.

Ottawa took a 2-0 lead in the first period, but saw the Penguins come back to go in front on Sidney Crosby's fifth goal of the playoffs 9:01 into the third period. Peter Regin, however, tied it with 9:36 to go in the third and the game remained deadlocked for almost another hour of hockey.

Carkner finally brought an end to the longest playoff game this year by putting a slap shot past Marc-Andre Fleury.

Mike Fisher and Jarkko Ruutu scored the first-period goals for the Senators. Kris Letang produced Pittsburgh's first goal on the power play with 1:55 left in the first and Chris Kunitz tied it with 1:26 remaining in the second.

Fleury made 40 saves for the Penguins, who are trying to become the first team in a dozen years to win the Stanley Cup two straight seasons.