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Maxime Talbot scored in the second period and Hossa also had two assists to push his former team to the brink of elimination one year after beating Pittsburgh in five games on its way to the Stanley Cup finals.
Game 4 is Wednesday night at Scotiabank Place.
Crosby got the tiebreaking goal 12 seconds into the third, stunning the Senators' crowd with his first goal of the playoffs after busting in on a 2-on-1 break and snapping a shot that beat Martin Gerber stick side.
Staal made it 3-1 just 1:18 later, crashing the net and redirecting Kristopher Letang pass behind a helpless Gerber. Hossa capped the comeback with a power-play goal at 8:55.
Ottawa couldn't capitalize on the return of injured captain Daniel Alfredsson, a surprise addition to the Senators' lineup. Alfredsson, who hadn't played since he was injured on April 3, was given a standing ovation when he took his first shift 42 seconds into the first period.
The Swedish star hadn't even practiced with his teammates before deciding to take the warmup and suit up for the game. He didn't look anywhere close to 100 percent, gingerly making his way around the ice and trying his best to avoid the high traffic areas. Nick Foligno scored 1:11 into the second to give Ottawa its first lead of the series after beating Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury down in the five-hole.
Talbot tied it nearly 4 1/2 minutes later, taking a nifty pass from Hossa at the Senators' blue line and breaking in with a backhand that beat Gerber.
Notes: The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and 1975 New York Islanders are the only NHL teams to have erased 3-0 series deficits. ... While the Senators got Alfredsson back, the Penguins were without veteran winger Gary Roberts (groin), who missed three months with a broken fibula before playing the last game of the regular season and the first two playoff games, scoring twice in the opener.
[Associated Press]
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