Chicago: After losing the first two games of a first-round Western Conference play-off series in the National Hockey League against the St Louis Blues, a return to home ice was the winning formula for the Chicago Blackhawks.
An early goal from center and team captain Jonathan Toews, coupled with an empty-net insurance score with 20 seconds left by center Marcus Kruger, helped Chicago cut their series deficit to 2-1. Game Four is also in Chicago tomorrow.
Toews missed the last two weeks of the regular season with an upper-body injury, and had been relatively quiet upon his return for the first two games of the first round. Corey Crawford stopped 34 shots in the shutout as the Blackhawks came alive.
Brandon Sutter, Lee Stempniak and defenseman Olli Maatta all scored in the third period as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied to edge the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 and move ahead in their first-round playoff series.
Defenseman Brooks Orpik also scored for the Penguins, who came back from a 3-1 deficit for the second time in the series.
The Blue Jackets won the franchise’s first playoff game on Saturday and appeared set for their second until Pittsburgh struck three times in a two minute, 13 second span in the third period to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Center Mikael Granlund scored 5:08 into overtime as the Minnesota Wild beat the Colorado Avalanche to record their first win of their playoff series after two losses in Denver.
Captain Jamie Benn, rookie Valeri Nichushkin and center Ryan Garbutt all scored goals as Dallas returned home and shook off two straight play-off losses in their first-round series with Anaheim. Dallas cut Anaheim’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series with Game Four set for tomorrow. Reuters
