OTTAWA -- Craig Anderson has returned to form just in time to give the Ottawa Senators a chance against the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Anderson was a pivotal part of Ottawas 2-1 double-overtime win over Pittsburgh on Sunday that cut the Penguins lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven second-round playoff series. He made 49 saves in Game 3, and his stunning performance was timely. It came after he was pulled less than two minutes into the second period of Game 2 after allowing three goals on 21 shots. "You have to put things behind you as quick as possible and regardless of wins or loses you have to look forward to the next day and try and improve on your last performance," Anderson said Monday as both teams had a day off from skating. "I just kept things simple and focused on things I could control which was stopping the puck. It was exciting. We found a way to win. We did a lot of good things and we got rewarded." Anderson shut the door on a Sidney Crosby breakaway and made an acrobatic stop on Evgeni Malkin, who used every move in his repertoire to get around the Ottawa defence and get a shot off in the first overtime. The only thing keeping the play from being a goal-of-the year candidate was the fact the Anderson refused to allow the puck to cross the goal-line. "That was a pretty impressive performance coming off the first time he gets pulled all year, and one of the more clutch performances from a goaltender because of the stakes and the landscape of the series and how it would have changed had we gone down 3-0 in the series," said Senators forward Jason Spezza, who made his playoff debut Sunday following back surgery that limited him to just five games at the start of the regular season. "Andy looked like the way Andy has looked all year, and thats confident and calm. Hes a guy that has a good edge to him and I think that suits our team well. Hes real competitive, hes demanding of our team in front of him and I think we have a good dynamic." The Senators put the game away when Colin Greening scored in the eighth minute of double overtime. Game 4 is Wednesday before the series shifts back to Pittsburgh for Game 5 Friday. Senators coach Paul MacLean says that he has enjoyed success scoring goals -- he had 324 of them during his NHL career -- but he has no experience venturing into the minds of goaltenders. "Im concerned with (the goaltender) all the time, but I try to spend no time with them at all," MacLean said Monday. "Rick Wamsley our goaltending coach does an outstanding job with the goaltender. Ive had the ability in the past to score on goaltenders but Im not really sure how they go about their business and I dont pretend to. "We do spend some time talking to them but not about how they play their position, but just about keeping their mind where it needs to be and if there are any issues we can solve." As for Spezza, he put in some overtime in his first game since January 27, also against the Penguins. "It was fun. Its been a long road for my and the longest season personally having to watch the games," he said. "It was pretty satisfying just to be in the lineup and to get a win in dramatic fashion makes it all worthwhile. "I feel good. I feel like I played my first double-overtime game in four months, but my back feels no worse for wear and in fact Im encouraged that I can go through a game like that and feel good the next day. Its not the type of game that I would have wanted to start with, but now that weve had it I think it benefits me." Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma thought it was the best road game his team played during these playoffs, but was very disappointed obviously with the way it ended, and especially the fact they had a lead and a power play with 1:27 seconds remaining in regulation. Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson tied the game with a short-handed goal in the final minute of regulation before Greening finally put the game away. "We didnt accomplish our goal of holding onto the puck through that minute 27," he said. "We gave up a second dump and that was the one they were able to come back on a line rush that Alfredsson scored on. "We had some good opportunities, especially five-on-three. I think the Malkin chance, and both Sid and Jarome (Iginla) had some good looks but Anderson was up to the task. He was real strong." Anderson will have to display much of the same if the Senators are going to be able to turn the best-of-seven into a best-of-three. Wholesale NHL Jerseys Online .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . 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LOUIS -- Jaime Garcias recent woes continued and so did the St. Louis Cardinals season-long struggles at home.Garcia gave up a three-run homer to Stephen Vogt in the third, a two-run shot to Khris Davis in the first and the Cardinals lost 7-4 to the Oakland Athletics on Sunday.St. Louis dropped two of three to the Athletics and the Mets on the homestand and has won only one of its past five series at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals own the majors best road record (38-34) but fell to 30-37 at home.Every game we dont win, there is a level of frustration, doesnt matter home or road, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.Garcia, who worked four scoreless innings after the Athletics took a 5-1 lead, has allowed 16 runs in 16 innings over his past three starts. He has served up seven homers in those outings after giving up six in his first 13. Both homers against the Athletics came with two out.Weve seen it a few times where he gets some quick outs and something happens and it rolls out of control for a little while, Matheny said.You make mistakes and stuff happens fast, Garcia said. I need to do a better job.Rookie Andrew Triggs (1-1) earned his first win in his fifth start, allowing three runs on four hits with no walks and eight strikeouts in six innings. Ryan Madson pitched the ninth for his 27th save in 33 chances.Triggs, who was called up from Triple A Nashville for the eighth time earlier this month, said about 15 family and friends made the trip from his hometown in Nashville to watch the game played with the temperature 92 degrees at first pitch.Once you get through those first couple of innings with that heat, youre maxed out in sweat so theres not much more you can do, Triggs said.Matt Carpenter doubled twice, homered and scored his teams first three runs to help the Cardinals close to 5-4 after seven innings. His homer in the third extended the Cardiinals streak to 17 games with a homer, matching their season best.ddddddddddddThe Cardinals were hurt by reliever Zach Dukes error in the eighth. Duke failed to cleanly field Vogts grounder with a runner on third that led to a second run for Oakland in the inning. The typically strong defensive Cardinals rank among the worst fielding teams in the National League.Theres going to be some kind of narrative every year and this year thats the narrative and were going to find a way to prove that wrong, Carpenter said. September is a fun month, especially in St Louis. The weather starts to cool and typically we start to play really well and ride that into October. Hopefully that will be no different this year.Oaklands Ryon Healy doubled in the third to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, the longest active streak in the majors.St. Louis brought the tying run to the plate with one out against Madson but Randall Grichuk lined out to third and Greg Garcia flied to center for the final out.The Cardinals finished interleague play 1-8 at home and 8-12 overall. Oakland finished 7-13.TRAINERS ROOMAthletics: INF Billy Butler (concussion) is expected to be cleared to return Monday.Cardinals: SS Aledmys Diaz (right thumb) will see a hand specialist Monday to determine when he could return. Diaz has not played since July 31.UP NEXTAthletics: Rookie LHP Sean Manaea (5-8, 4.53) starts the opener of a three-game series at Houston seeking his first road win. He worked seven scoreless innings against the Astros in a 2-1 loss July 10.Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez (12-7, 3.13) will make his third start at Milwaukee as St. Louis opens a nine-game, three-city trip. Martinez won his first two starts against the Brewers, allowing one run in 13 innings. ' ' '