Ottawa rises as beast of the East in playoff race

The playoff chase in the NHL's Eastern Conference has gone from compelling to downright wacky. Five teams, fighting for four spots, are now separated by just three points after Tuesday's thrilling night of action.

The race tightened significantly because of Ottawa's stirring rally from a three-goal deficit against Pittsburgh. The Senators won 4-3 in overtime, pulling even with Boston for the second wild card and within one point of the slumping Penguins.

"We've got to wipe this one away," Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said. "We've got two games left to earn the right to play in the playoffs. It's up to us now, but we've got to forget this one pretty quick."