PITTSBURGH -- Right winger Kevin Hayes scored from a scramble in front of the net 3:14 into overtime to give the New York Rangers a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night at Consol Energy Center.

The Rangers now have a 3-1 lead in the teams' first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.

Right winger Patric Hornqvist picked up his second goal in as many games for Pittsburgh in the first period. Center Derick Brassard, a Penguins-killer, tied it for New York in the second period.

Each game in the series has been decided by one goal going into Friday's game at Madison Square Garden.

After giving up the first goal in each of the first three games of the series and pointing fingers at themselves for lackluster starts, the Penguins flipped a switch early in this game.

They opened the scoring at 2:22 when Hornqvist, on the right edge of a thicket of players in the low slot, tipped in a shot from the center point by defenseman Ben Lovejoy. New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who made 22 saves in the game, was screened on the play.

Pittsburgh got the first five shots of the game before Rangers center Derek Stepan registered a shot from the right point as he was being hooked by Penguins left winger Blake Comeau. New York was 0-for-2 with one shot on the power play in the first period and, overall, was outshot 8-2 in the period.

The Rangers pushed back with stronger play in the second period -- better puck possession, more authoritative skating, more shots -- and got the tying goal to make it 1-1 at 17:15.

Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who also stopped 22 shots in the game, got his left leg out to hold off Brassard, but the center continued to poke at the puck near the left post and pushed it past Fleury's skate and over the goal line.

The goal gives Brassard 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in 21 career games (regular season and playoffs) against the Penguins, including three goals this series.

NOTES: New York D Kevin Klein (broken arm) advanced to taking slap shots at the team's game-day skate. Coach Alain Vigneault said Klein could use a full practice but might have to settle for getting game-ready in morning skates depending on the schedule. ... Rangers D Keith Yandle again skipped the morning skate but played. He has been ill all week. ... New York scratched C James Sheppard and D Chris Summers. ... Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin played in his 100th career playoff game, C Sidney Crosby in his 99th and G Marc-Andre Fleury in his 97th. ... Pittsburgh again scratched RW/LW Beau Bennett (upper body), RW Craig Adams, D Scott Harrington and D Derrick Pouliot (undisclosed injury). Bennett hasn't missed a practice or skate. Pouliot has been on the ice with his teammates and is "really close to playing," Penguins coach Mike Johnston said. ... The teams handled their schedules differently. The Penguins held a full practice Tuesday and an optional game-day skate Wednesday. New York took a day off from practice Tuesday and had a full game-day skate Wednesday. ... The NHL announced a 7 p.m. start time for Game 5 on Friday at Madison Square Garden.