Rangers force Game 7 thanks to Kreider's late winner

The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins are going the distance.

Chris Kreider broke a tie with under two minutes left in the third period of Game 6 on Friday. The Rangers added an empty-netter for a 5-3 victory to set up a winner-take-all finale.

Penguins goaltender Louis Domingue got a piece of Kreider's harmless-looking, long-range slapper, but the puck trickled by him and into the net.

Kreider was initially credited with the goal before it was changed to Mika Zibanejad's. It was ultimately switched back to Kreider's goal, taking a hat trick away from the Swede.

Nevertheless, Kreider and Zibanejad were two key offensive catalysts for New York. Zibanejad registered four points and Kreider potted two goals. Defenseman Adam Fox was all over the scoresheet with four assists, too.

Igor Shesterkin was stellar between the pipes for the Blueshirts, stopping 31 of 34 shots. He also helped set up Kreider's first goal with a brilliant saucer pass from his own goal line that found Zibanejad right on the tape at the far blue line.

The Rangers went down 2-0 early before scoring five of the game's last six goals. They're just the third team in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to produce consecutive multi-goal comeback wins to stave off elimination, joining the 1987 Philadelphia Flyers and 1950 Detroit Red Wings.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, was without captain Sidney Crosby, defenseman Brian Dumoulin, and their top two goalies, Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith. The Penguins also lost veteran Brian Boyle to a lower-body injury during the contest.

Games 7 goes Sunday at Madison Square Garden.