Pens grab 3-0 series lead

NEW YORK — Evgeni Malkin and the perfect Pittsburgh Penguins pushed the New York Rangers to the brink of elimination.

Malkin, hours after being announced as a finalist for the NHL MVP award, scored two power-play goals and added an assist to lift Pittsburgh to a 5-3 victory Tuesday night that stretched the Penguins’ lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series to 3-0.

The Penguins are 7-0 in the postseason, still rolling after a four-game sweep of Ottawa in the first round.

They eked out wins at home in the opening two games against the Rangers, rallying from a 3-0 deficit to win Game 1 and prevailing 2-0 on Sunday on the strength of Marc-Andre Fleury’s shutout.

Pittsburgh, which lost all four road meetings with the Rangers this season, can advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2001 as early as Thursday. Only two teams have come back to win a series after trailing 3-0. The 1975 New York Islanders did it to the Penguins in the second round.

Complete story appears in Wednesday’s edition.