LOS ANGELES -- Anze Kopitar finally showed up for the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference semifinals.

• His timing could not have been better.

  Frustrated, stymied and curtailed by the stingy San Jose Sharks over the first four games of the series, Kopitar awoke late in the second period Thursday simply by being in the right place at the right time.

  The result was a crucial goal past Sharks goalie Antti Niemi that set the Kings on their way to a 3-0 victory in Game 5 at Staples Center.

  The defending Stanley Cup champion Kings took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, and they have a chance to close out the Sharks on Sunday in San Jose.

  "Just got to get a win," Kings defenseman Matt Greene said. "Got to look forward to it and play a hard game, which we did a little better job tonight, but just get better."

  Game 7, if necessary, would be played Tuesday in Los Angeles, where the Kings have won 13 straight.

  "Got to be confident," San Jose forward Logan Couture said. "Season is on the line. We are playing for our lives. I expect to see us as a desperate team. I expect our best players to be way better, myself included in Game 6 and play well at home. I'm confident. I think we are going to go home and win Game 6 and we'll be back in L.A. ...

  "We have a lot to look at from tonight's game. We did a lot of things wrong. I'm sure it will help us look at some video and get better."

  Either way, the Kings can take comfort in having Kopitar back in the fold, and in the scoring column.

  Shut out over the first four games against San Jose and with just one goal over the Kings' first 10 postseason games, Kopitar broke through at the 18:08 mark of the second period, positioning himself to the right of Niemi, finding a loose puck at his feet and punching it in to give the Kings a 1-0 lead.

  "The legs are a little bit lighter," Kopitar said of getting his first goal of the series.

  Greene said, "It's big time. I think Kopitar does a lot of things that go unnoticed. For him to get a goal, get a reward on the score sheet, is great, but we all know his value in here."

  The noticeably inspired Kings pulled the momentum of Kopitar's goal into the third period. Striking quickly against Niemi, Slava Voynov fired a wrist shot past him 53 seconds into the period to put the Kings up 2-0.

  With Kings goalie Jonathan Quick back on top of his game, that turned out to be an insurmountable lead for the Sharks to overcome.

  In recording his second shutout of the series, Quick turned away all 24 shots he faced.

  "We played well. We played hard, came out with a purpose," Quick said. "It's not easy. It's not easy to win against this team, they're a great team. We need that effort, we need more. We expect to win in San Jose. That's a tough building to play in. We're going to need a great effort again."

  Meanwhile, the Kings killed off three power plays, and they have killed 16 off 17 power plays at home during the playoffs.

  "We needed it, and we came out big," Kopitar said.

  Jeff Carter added an empty-net goal for the Kings with 32 seconds remaining.

  Niemi made 26 saves, but the Sharks could not figure out Quick.

  "They just did a better job at getting the pucks out," San Jose forward Joe Thornton said. "We didn't put it in a good place to get it back. That's why they were more effective getting it out. We definitely had our chances, but we just got to bear down. We're getting those opportunities."

  San Jose coach Todd McLellan is confident going home.

  "We are going back to our building. We have a couple of days to regroup, to rest," he said. "When we've played well this year down the stretch, we've played quick, efficiently, we've made tape-to-tape passes, and that didn't happen tonight. We weren't the team we wanted to be."

  NOTES: In 11 playoffs games this year, Quick has stopped 313 of 330 shots. He now has a Kings-record seven career shutouts in the playoffs and 27 career postseason wins. ... The Kings have led a best-of-seven series 3-2 eight previous times, and they are 7-1 in those series. ... Including the regular season, the Kings and Sharks have played a total of nine times this season, with the home team winning each game. "Up to this point, there's been a home-ice advantage," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "I don't really think there is anything in particular, everybody is going to look at it when it is over and done and look at their whole year, evaluate schedules and things and then they are going to rate how they played at home and how they played away. I think that that's something that is way down the road and something that seems like a long time ago, because everything is just based on playoffs now." ... Sharks defensemen Marc Edouard-Vlasic and Justin Braun have been defending Kopitar's line and done the same job they did against Canucks forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin in the first round, holding them to just one assist each. "They picked up where they left off in their assignment against the Canucks," McLellan said. "They feel very comfortable playing with each other, and they complement each other well. They're both very good skaters with tremendous stamina, so when they get caught out there long, they're able to maintain their composure and get the job done."

LOS ANGELES -- Anze Kopitar finally showed up for the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference semifinals.

• His timing could not have been better.

  Frustrated, stymied and curtailed by the stingy San Jose Sharks over the first four games of the series, Kopitar awoke late in the second period simply by being in the right place at the right time.

  The result was a crucial goal past Sharks goalie Antti Niemi that set the Kings on their way to a 3-0 victory Thursday in Game 5 at Staples Center.

  The Kings took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, and they have a chance to close out the Sharks on Sunday in San Jose.

  If not, Game 7 on Tuesday would be in Los Angeles, where the Kings have won 13 straight.

  Either way, the Kings can take comfort in having Kopitar back in the fold, and in the scoring column.

  Shut out over the first four games against San Jose and with just one goal over the Kings' first 10 postseason games, Kopitar broke through at the 18:08 mark of the second period, positioning himself to the right of Niemi, finding a loose puck at his feet and punching it in to give the Kings a 1-0 lead.

  "The legs are a little bit lighter," Kopitar said of getting his first goal of the series.

  The noticeably inspired Kings pulled the momentum of Kopitar's goal into the third period, striking quickly against Niemi when Slava Voynov fired a wrist shot past him 53 seconds into the period to put the Kings up 2-0.

  With Kings goalie Jonathan Quick back on top of his game, that turned out to be an insurmountable lead for the Sharks to overcome.

  In recording his second shutout of the series, Quick turned away all 24 shots he faced.

  Meanwhile, the Kings killed off three power plays, and have now killed 16 of 17 power plays at home during the playoffs.

  "We needed it, and we came out big," Kopitar said.

  Jeff Carter added an empty-net goal for the Kings with 32 seconds remaining.

  Niemi made 26 saves.

  NOTES: Sharks defensemen Marc Edouard-Vlasic and Justin Braun have been defending Kopitar's line and done the same job they did against Vancouver Canucks forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin in the first round, holding them to one assist each. "They picked up where they left off in their assignment against the Canucks," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "They feel very comfortable playing with each other and they complement each other well. They're both very good skaters with tremendous stamina, so when they get caught out there long, they're able to maintain their composure and get the job done."

DETROIT -- The Chicago Blackhawks picked the wrong time for their first three-game losing streak of the season.

• Jimmy Howard made 28 saves for his second career playoff shutout, and the Detroit Red Wings beat Chicago 2-0 at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday night to take a 3-1 series lead over the heavily favored Blackhawks in the Western Conference semifinals.

  Game 5 is Saturday night at Chicago's United Center.

  Chicago got points in the first 24 games of the regular season en route to running away with the Presidents' Trophy, which goes to the team with the NHL's best record. They never lost more than two in a row ... until now.

  After winning the first game of the series 4-1, the Blackhawks lost the past three by a combined 9-2 score. And now, if they can't stop their skid, their season will be over.

  "We've got to find a way to dig in," center Patrick Sharp said. "We're going back to Chicago on our home ice in front of our home fans."

  Jakub Kindl scored a power-play goal midway through the second period, and Daniel Cleary added an empty-net goal for Detroit, which is the Western Conference's No. 7 seed after barely sneaking into the playoffs.

  Detroit coach Mike Babcock was asked if he were surprised that his team stands one win away from the Western Conference finals.

  "If you would ask me two months ago, I would be shocked. We started playing better and better," Babcock said. "Once we got through the Anaheim (first-round) series, you go in thinking you have an opportunity. We're competing at a high, high level."

  Corey Crawford stopped 25 shots for Chicago.

  Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews -- who has no goals and three assists in his team's nine playoff games -- continued to be frustrated by the Red Wings. He took three consecutive penalties -- hooking, high sticking and hooking again -- in the second period.

  "I'm not going to say anything about the officiating," Toews said. "Obviously I disagree with the calls, but it's in the heat of the moment. They see what they see."

  The Red Wings capitalized with one second left in the second penalty to take a 1-0 lead when Kindl got his first goal of the playoffs at 10:03. He beat Crawford with a change-up of a shot from the top of the left circle.

  It was the first power-play goal Chicago allowed in the playoffs after killing its first 30 short-handed situations. Detroit recorded its first power-play goal of the series after being foiled on its first 13 attempts.

  Cleary scored his third goal of the playoffs with 39 seconds remaining in the game.

  "We played a good game," Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "We knew they would come out and play good from the start, so we wanted to come out and take charge."

  Chicago's Michal Handzus hit the crossbar with 9:45 left in the third.

  Howard made an outstanding save on Dave Bolland on a two-on-one rush 9:25 into the third period after stopping Sharp on a breakaway with 4:55 left in a first period in which the Red Wings turned the puck over five times.

  "In the playoffs you need your goalie the most, and he's been really big for us and keeping us in some games when we should have been down one or two," Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said. "But that's what we have in a goalie like him."

  Chicago's Nick Leddy hit the goal post about two minutes into the second period.

  NOTE: Handzus, not Toews, played on a line between Marian Hossa and Sharp. Toews was with Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell. ... Detroit D Dan DeKeyser had the cast removed Wednesday from his surgically repaired thumb. DeKeyser, whose thumb was broken May 2 in the second game of the Anaheim series, has been skating for a week. He was originally thought to be out six to eight weeks, but he thinks he could return if the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks and reach the Western Conference finals. ... Detroit D Brendan Smith was helped off the ice after taking a Bolland shot off the right knee with 3:20 left in the first period. Smith returned for the second period.

NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers are on life support.

• They'll take it over the alternative.

  Chris Kreider's goal 7:03 into overtime gave the Rangers a 4-3 overtime win over the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

  "It felt good," Kreider said of the winner. "It is so surreal. It's not something that can be explained. It's just something that has to be felt. It was awesome and I'm just excited to give these guys an opportunity to play another game."

  New York trails the best-of-seven series 3-1. Game 5 is Saturday afternoon at T.D. Garden.

  "There is no negativity in the room," New York's Dan Girardi said. "We're not worrying about anything else that is going on. We are very positive in the room and we knew we just had to win one game. Now we have to go to Boston and try to win another one."

  Carl Hagelin, Derek Stepan and Brian Boyle also scored for New York. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 37 of 40 shots.

  "We did show some character," Lundqvist said. "We kind of lowered our shoulders a little bit and started playing our game. We're playing a really good team, but something you just need to feel like maybe you can get one good bounce, and then it just turned around for us. I thought we played really well the second half of the game."

  Nathan Horton, Torey Krug and Tyler Seguin also scored for Boston. Tuukka Rask made 28 saves for the Bruins.

  Boston had leads of 1-0, 2-0 and 3-2. But New York led when it counted.

  "I don't know if it's the momentum that shifted," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "We didn't play as well as we could have throughout the whole game."

  Horton's power play goal put Boston up 1-0 4:39 into the second period. It was his fifth goal of the playoffs. King scored his third goal of the series 3:02 later.

  Hagelin cut the lead to 2-1 at 8:39 when Rask fell down and could not reach the New York left winger's backhander from the slot.

  "I just took a step to the side in what I think probably was a skate mark or something," Rask said. "My skate dug in, that's what it felt like. I lost my balance and the rest is history.

  "It happens to me twice a year in practice, maybe. Focus ... got to be more focused, I think. Just a tough mistake. It looks pretty bad on TV, I guess."

  Stepan's unassisted goal 1:15 into the third tied the score at 2. The New York center stole the puck from Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara behind the Boston goal before shoving a wraparound past Rask. The goal was Stepan's fourth of the playoffs and second of the series.

  "We are down by a goal going into the third and the talk is just to relax and play," Stepan said. "We've kind of got nothing to lose, and found a way to win a period."

  Seguin put Boston up 3-2 with his first goal of the playoffs at 8:06 of the third.

  Boyle drew New York even 1:54 later with a power play goal. It was New York's first power play goal in 13 opportunities in the series. The Rangers finished the game 1 for 4 on the power play and are 3 for 42 on the man advantage in 11 Stanley Cup playoff games this spring.

  "I think we have to get more comfortable," Stepan said. "It's still not the way we would like it, but we have just got to find a way to score goals. It's a big part of the playoffs."

  NOTES: Rangers center Brad Richards announced at Thursday's morning skate he was a healthy scratch for Game 4. "I'm just disappointed," Richards said. The New York center has been relegated to the fourth line since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Washington Capitals. He has averaged 10:47 of ice time in the series against the Bruins. Richards vowed to "work harder and try my best to never let this happen again." Richards and Tortorella have a long-term relationship dating to their time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. During his postgame press conference, Tortorella was adamant that he was not blaming Richards for New York entering the game in an 0-3 hole. "By no means is this a situation where I take him out and I'm blaming him," Tortorella said. "I'm playing Brad on the fourth line. He's playing seven or eight minutes and it's not good for him. It doesn't work playing Brad Richards that way, but I also feel some other guys have played better." ... This is the 10th time the Rangers and the Bruins have met in a Stanley Cup playoff series. The Bruins have a 6-3 series edge, but Boston has never swept New York in a best-of-seven. The Bruins beat the Rangers 2-0 in a two-game semifinal series in 1927 due to aggregate goal differential. Two years later, the Bruins swept the Rangers 2-0 in the Stanley Cup final. ...The Rangers will practice at their suburban facility at noon Friday before heading to Boston. ...The Bruins went 2 for 4 on the power play in Game 4.

DETROIT -- Jimmy Howard made 28 saves for his second career playoff shutout, and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0 at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday night to take a 3-1 series lead over the heavily favored Blackhawks in the Western Conference semifinals.

• Game 5 is Saturday night at Chicago's United Center.

  Jakub Kindl scored a power-play goal midway through the second period, and Daniel Cleary added an empty-net goal for Detroit, which is the Western Conference's No. 7 seed.

  Corey Crawford stopped 25 shots for Chicago, which won the Presidents' Trophy that goes to the team with the NHL's best record.

  Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews continued to be frustrated by the Red Wings and took three consecutive penalties -- hooking, high sticking and hooking again -- in the second period. The Red Wings capitalized with one second left in the second penalty to take a 1-0 lead when Kindl got his first goal of the playoffs at 10:03. He beat Crawford with a change-up of a shot from the top of the left circle.

  It was the first power-play goal Chicago has allowed in the playoffs after killing its first 30 short-handed situations. Detroit recorded its first power-play goal of the series after being foiled on its first 13 attempts.

  Cleary scored with 39 seconds remaining in the game.

  Chicago's Michal Handzus hit the crossbar with 9:45 left in the third.

  Howard made an outstanding save on Dave Bolland on a two-on-one rush 9:25 into the third period.

  Chicago's Nick Leddy hit the goal post about two minutes into the second period.

  Howard stopped Patrick Sharp on a breakaway with 4:55 left in a first period in which the Red Wings turned the puck over five times.

  NOTE: Toews had no goals and three assists in the Blackhawks' first eight playoff games. Handzus, not Toews, started the game between Marian Hossa and Sharp. Toews began the game between Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell . ... Detroit D Dan DeKeyser had the cast removed Wednesday from his surgically repaired thumb. DeKeyser, whose thumb was broken May 2 in the second game of the first-round series against Anaheim, has been skating for a week. He was originally thought to be out six to eight weeks, but he thinks he could return if the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks and reach the Western Conference finals. ... Detroit D Brendan Smith was helped off the ice after taking a Bolland shot off the right knee with 3:20 left in the first period. Smith returned for the second period.

NEW YORK -- Chris Kreider's goal 7:03 into overtime gave the New York Rangers a 4-3 overtime win over the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

• Carl Hagelin, Derek Stepan and Brian Boyle also scored for New York. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 37 of 40 shots.

  Boston leads the best-of-seven series 3-1. Game 5 is Saturday afternoon at T.D. Garden.

  Nathan Horton, Torey Krug and Tyler Seguin also scored for Boston. Tuukka Rask made 28 saves for the Bruins.

  Boston had leads of 1-0, 2-0 and 3-2. But New York led when it counted.

  Horton's power play goal put Boston up 1-0 4:39 into the second period. It was his fifth goal of the playoffs. King scored his third goal of the series 3:02 later.

  Hagelin cut the lead to 2-1 at 8:39 when Rask fell down and could not reach the New York left winger's backhander from the slot.

  Stepan's unassisted goal 1:15 into the third tied the score at 2.

  Seguin put Boston up 3-2 with his first goal of the playoffs at 8:06 of the third.

  Boyle drew New York even 1:54 later.

  NOTES: Rangers center Brad Richards announced at Thursday's morning skate he was a healthy scratch for Game 4. "I'm just disappointed," Richards said. The New York center has been relegated to the fourth line since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Washington Capitals. He has averaged 10:47 of ice time in the series against the Bruins. Richards vowed to "work harder and try my best to never let this happen again." ... This is the 10th time the Rangers and the Bruins have met in a Stanley Cup playoff series. The Bruins have a 6-3 series edge, but Boston has never swept New York in a best-of-seven. The Bruins beat the Rangers 2-0 in a two-game semifinal series in 1927 due to aggregate goal differential. Two years later, the Bruins swept the Rangers 2-0 in the Stanley Cup final.

The Colorado Avalanche confirmed rumors on Thursday that Patrick Roy is the team's next head coach.

• The 47-year-old Roy also was named vice president of hockey operations. He replaces Joe Sacco, who was fired on April 28 after Colorado finished last in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs for a third straight season. Roy retired as an Avalanche player on May 28, 2003, with a then-NHL record for wins by a goalie with 551.

  "This is an unbelievable day for me," Roy said. "It's a new and exciting challenge that I am really looking forward to. Almost 10 years to the day that I announced my retirement as a player, I am back in Denver and hope the fans are as excited as I am."

  ---New York Rangers center Brad Richards won't be in Thursday's lineup for a must-win Game 4 at Madison Square Garden against the Boston Bruins.

  Richards informed reporters that he was told by head coach John Tortorella that he'll be a healthy scratch for a possible elimination game of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series. Richards logged a postseason-low 8:10 in Game 3 on Tuesday. He has one goal and is a minus-3 in the playoffs.

  ---The Nashville Predators signed 2012 third-round draft pick Brendan Leipsic to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.

  Leipsic, 19, was the leading scorer this season in the Western Hockey League with 120 points (49 goals and 71 assists) for Portland. He led the WHA in goals and was second in assists.

The Nashville Predators signed 2012 third-round draft pick Brendan Leipsic to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Thursday.

• Leipsic, 19, was the leading scorer this season in the Western Hockey League with 120 points (49 goals and 71 assists) for Portland. He led the WHA in goals and was second in assists.

The Colorado Avalanche confirmed rumors on Thursday that Patrick Roy is the team's next head coach.

• The 47-year-old Roy also was named vice president of hockey operations. He replaces Joe Sacco, who was fired on April 28 after Colorado finished last in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs for a third straight season.

  "This is an unbelievable day for me," Roy said. "It's a new and exciting challenge that I am really looking forward to. Almost 10 years to the day that I announced my retirement as a player, I am back in Denver and hope the fans are as excited as I am."

  There was speculation that Roy accepted the job earlier in the week. The team announced Thursday that it had reached an agreement in principle with the Hall of Fame goaltender.

  Roy retired as an Avalanche player on May 28, 2003, with a then-NHL record for wins by a goalie with 551.

  In his new job, Roy will work with former teammate Joe Sakic, the club's executive vice president of hockey operations. Sakic and Roy were on Colorado's Stanley Cup-winning teams in 1996 and 2001. Their numbers were retired by the Avalanche and hang in the rafters in the Pepsi Center.

  "This is a very exciting day for our fans and a significant moment in our organization's history," Avalanche president Josh Kroenke said in a statement. "Patrick"s passion for the game of hockey both as a player and as a coach defines who he is as a person."

  For the past eight years, Roy served as head coach, general manager and co-owner of the Quebec Ramparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. His teams posted a .640 winning percentage and won the Memorial Cup in 2006.

New York Rangers center Brad Richards won't be in Thursday's lineup for a must-win Game 4 at Madison Square Garden against the Boston Bruins.

• Richards informed reporters that he was told by head coach John Tortorella that he'll be a healthy scratch for a possible elimination game of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series.

  "I'm disappointed," Richards said.

  Richards logged a postseason-low 8:10 in Game 3 on Tuesday. He has one goal and is a minus-3 in the playoffs.

OTTAWA -- It seemed only a matter of time before linemates James Neal and Jarome Iginla started putting pucks in the back of the net.

• That time came Wednesday at Scotiabank Place, where both Pittsburgh Penguins struck twice in a 7-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

  The win gives the Penguins a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven set, with Game 5 in Pittsburgh Friday.

  Neal and Iginla entered Wednesday with one and two goals, respectively, in the Penguins first seven playoff games.

  "It was a big game for our team to bounce back," said Iginla, referring to the Penguins' double-overtime loss in Game 3. "I thought all the guys were ready. As a line we just wanted to put pressure on and get scoring chances.

  "We had some good scoring chances early, but as a line and also as a team we just stuck with it. Guys stayed positive, kept doing the same things. Fortunately we were able to get some later."

  Backed by more brilliance from goalie Craig Anderson and goals by Milan Michalek and Kyle Turris, the Senators clung to a 2-1 lead after one period. Things changed quickly after the intermission, however, as Chris Kunitz and Iginla scored 40 seconds apart to put the Penguins in front by the 1:48 mark. While Anderson kept his team within one the rest of the period, Pittsburgh erupted with four more goals before the midway mark of the third. Anderson was replaced by Robin Lehner after Sidney Crosby had made it 6-2 on Pittsburgh's 38th shot.

  Pascal Dupuis had the other Penguins goal with his team short-handed, while defenseman Kris Letang added four assists. Daniel Alfredsson tallied late in the third for Ottawa.

  "I don't know how it looked to you guys, but from our standpoint we thought they were having a tough time keeping up in the first period," said Penguins' defenseman Brooks Orpik. "We just wanted to keep playing the same way.

  "Anderson played great the other night, but it's tough for them to expect him to play that well every night. It was good that we finally got to him a little bit."

  After surviving all six shorthanded situations they were faced with in Game 3, the Senators penalty killers couldn't keep the Penguins' power play muffled again. Pittsburgh converted two of five man-advantage opportunities Wednesday.

  An obviously unhappy Senators coach Paul MacLean didn't take questions at his post-game press conference.

  "Everything is right here," he said, holding up the game sheet. "See you in Pittsburgh. We'll show up to play."

  Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves in the Pittsburgh net.

  Alfredsson's goal represented his 100th career playoff point.

  After Michalek set up the Senators captain for the dramatic short-handed goal that sent Game 3 into overtime, Alfredsson returned the favor with a neat pass in the defensive zone to spring Michalek for a breakaway -- and Wednesday's first goal -- with the Senators short-handed.

  Anderson, who was victimized by Crosby for three goals in Game 2, made three huge stops off Crosby by the 11-minute mark of the first period in Game 4.

  "We know we can beat them," said Ottawa winger Chris Neil. "Just because they have a bunch of superstars doesn't mean they're going to win the Stanley Cup."

  NOTES: Trade deadline acquisition Brenden Morrow was out of the Penguins' lineup as coach Dan Bylsma replaced him and Tanner Glass with two other forwards, Jussi Jokinen and Beau Bennett. ... The Senators inserted 21-year-old winger Mark Stone into the lineup for the first time in the playoffs and put him on a line with Jason Spezza. Stone, a scoring star as a junior, made his NHL debut in Game 5 of last spring's opening-round series against the New York Rangers and set up Spezza for the winning goal. He had played four NHL games since, at the start of this season, and was sent to the minors after producing no points. ... To make room for Stone, Senators coach Paul MacLean sat down Cory Conacher.

OTTAWA -- The Pittsburgh Penguins flipped a switch and dimmed the lights on the Ottawa Senators.

• Six unanswered goals in the final two periods Wednesday night lifted the Penguins to a 7-3 victory over the Senators, stunning 20,500 fans at Scotiabank Place in the process.

  The Penguins now lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series 3-1. Game 5 is Friday in Pittsburgh.

  James Neal and Jarome Iginla led the way for the Penguins with two goals each. Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis and Sidney Crosby had the others.

  Milan Michalek, Kyle Turris and Daniel Alfredsson replied for Ottawa.

  Senators goalie Craig Anderson, who was brilliant in the first period, was pulled in the third after giving up a sixth goal on the 38th shot he faced. His replacement, Robin Lehner, stopped three of four shots.

  Tomas Vokoun made 30 saves in the Pittsburgh net.

  The Senators were up 2-1 after the first but things changed quickly after the intermission. Goals 40 seconds apart by Kunitz and Iginla had the visitors ahead by the 1:48 mark of the second period.

  The Penguins pushed hard but couldn't get more until the third, when Neal scored on the power play at the 1:59 mark. Dupuis followed with a short-handed goal at 8:08, and then Crosby broke in to increase the lead 29 seconds later.

  Iginla picked up his second, again with the Penguins on the power play, before Alfredsson snapped the run with a goal at the 14:44 mark and the Senators having a man advantage.

  Alfredsson's goal represented his 100th career playoff point.

  After Michalek set up Alfredsson for the dramatic short-handed goal that sent Game 3 into overtime, Alfredsson returned the favor with a neat pass in the defensive zone to spring Michalek for a breakaway -- and Wednesday's first goal -- with the Senators short-handed.

  Anderson, who was victimized by Crosby for three goals in Game 2, made three huge stops off Crosby by the 11-minute mark of the first period in Game 4.

  NOTES: Trade deadline acquisition Brenden Morrow was out of the Penguins' lineup as coach Dan Bylsma replaced him and Tanner Glass with two other forwards, Jussi Jokinen and Beau Bennett ... The Senators inserted 21-year old winger Mark Stone into the lineup for the first time in the playoffs and put him on a line with Jason Spezza. Stone, a scoring star as a junior, made his NHL debut in Game 5 of last spring's opening-round series against the New York Rangers and set up Spezza for the winning goal. He had played four NHL games since, at the start of this season, and was sent to the minors after producing no points. ... To make room for Stone, Senators coach Paul MacLean sat down Cory Conacher.

The Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday fired head coach Alain Vigneault and assistant coaches Rick Bowness and Newell Brown, according to TVA's Louis Jean, reported ProHockeyTalk.com.

• Canucks general manager Mike Gillis met with team ownership before informing the trio that they were no longer with the team, PHT added.

  It appears Wednesday's firings may be the start of a complete housecleaning in Vancouver, PHT said, although two other assistant coaches -- goaltending coach Roland Melanson and Daryl Williams -- are still with the team, for now.

  In a subsequent report later Wednesday, Jean reported that Williams and Melanson “are safe for now,” adding that their jobs may still be eliminated depending on what the new coach decides to do or whether he still wants them on his staff.

  Vigneault was the Canucks' 16th head coach and the most successful leader in team history with 313 regular season wins. Since joining the team in 2006, he led the Canucks to six postseason berths, a Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

  However, back-to-back first-round playoff exits in the last two seasons was "unacceptable," Gillis said, according to PHT.

  ---Longtime NHL defenseman Andy Sutton is calling it a career at age 38, announcing his retirement after sitting out the 2013 season with a knee injury. Sutton last placed for the Edmonton Oilers during the 2011-12 season, when he saw action in 52 games. He completed the final year of a one-year, $1.75 million contract.

  The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Sutton, an undrafted free agent, played 676 career games for San Jose, Minnesota, Atlanta, the New York Islanders, Ottawa, Anaheim and Edmonton. He finished with 38 goals, 150 points, 1,185 penalty minutes, 1,164 blocked shots and 1,134 hits.

  ---Philadelphia Flyers winger Jake Voracek was not hurt in a car crash in his hometown of Kladno, Czech Republic. Voracek was driving his Ferrari when it hit a truck. Pictures from the scene showed extensive front-end damage to Voracek's car.

  In a text to a reporter in the United States, Voracek said, "All good. No injuries. That's good! Can't talk now. Very busy haha."

  "(Voracek) failed to comply with safe distance from the vehicle ahead," Kladno police spokeswoman Michaela Novakova told Sport.cz.

  Voracek, 23, finished the 2013 regular season with a career-high 22 goals and 24 assists in 48 games.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Jake Voracek was not hurt in a car crash in his hometown of Kladno, Czech Republic, on Wednesday.

• Voracek was driving his Ferrari when it hit a truck. Pictures from the scene showed extensive front-end damage to Voracek's car.

  "I spoke with Jake this morning," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said in a statement. "He was involved in a car accident in the Czech Republic. Although his car did suffer damage, there were no injuries. Jake is fine."

  In a text to a reporter in the United States, Voracek said, "All good. No injuries. That's good! Can't talk now. Very busy haha."

  "(Voracek) failed to comply with safe distance from the vehicle ahead," Kladno police spokeswoman Michaela Novakova told Sport.cz.

  Voracek, 23, finished the 2013 regular season with a career-high 22 goals and 24 assists in 48 games.

Longtime NHL defenseman Andy Sutton is calling it a career at age 38, announcing his retirement on Wednesday after sitting out the 2013 season with a knee injury.

• Sutton last placed for the Edmonton Oilers during the 2011-12 season, when he saw action in 52 games. He completed the final year of a one-year, $1.75 million contract.

  "My NHL career enabled me to not only play the game I love, but to also be a part of something that so many kids dream about growing up," Sutton said. "Throughout my 15 years in the league, I have played for some exceptional hockey teams and have met quality people and friends along the way."

  The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Sutton, an undrafted free agent, played 676 career games for San Jose, Minnesota, Atlanta, the New York Islanders, Ottawa, Anaheim and Edmonton. He finished with 38 goals, 150 points, 1,185 penalty minutes, 1,164 blocked shots and 1,134 hits.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Dominant through two periods, the San Jose Sharks held on for dear life in the third to beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 Tuesday and even their Western Conference semifinal series at two wins apiece.

• Los Angeles outshot San Jose 14-2 in the final 20 minutes but could not rally from a 2-0 deficit. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series is Thursday in Los Angeles.

  "They had a couple power plays, and we were on our heels a bit in the third," San Jose's T.J. Galiardi said. "But Nemo (goalie Antti Niemi) shut the door for us."

  Mike Richards jammed home a power-play goal at 9:46 of the third period to cut Los Angeles' deficit to one. The Kings enjoyed a long cycle in the San Jose end and finally solved Niemi after Brent Burns boarded Anze Kopitar at 8:14.

  Niemi turned back the Kings' final seven shots to close out San Jose's fourth straight playoff win on home ice in as many tries. He wound up with 22 saves while posting his second consecutive 2-1 victory.

  "We feel great at home, and we feel confident in our group," Burns said. "Obviously it's a lot better to be 2-2 than 3-1, so it was a big game."

  The ice that was tilted in San Jose's favor for one period carried over to the second session. The Sharks scored the only goal in the second -- Logan Couture's power-play tally made it a 2-0 game at 3:55 -- and San Jose tightened up defensively late in the period when the Kings finally made their first push of the game.

  "There comes a point where you have to look at things and see what we can do, look at what we did in the second period," Richards said. "We have had success whether it's being aggressive down the wall or being a little more patient."

  Kings forward Colin Fraser roughed San Jose's Andrew Desjardins in the L.A. end at 3:14 of the middle period, and it took the hosts just 41 seconds to convert after two failed opening-period 5-on-4s.

  Couture scored his fifth goal of the playoff season by redirecting Dan Boyle's point drive past Kings goalie Jonathan Quick. It appeared Boyle's blast might have hit the stick of Kopitar as well.

  Los Angeles was held without a shot on two late-period power plays. However, the Sharks dodged a bullet early in the second short-handed situation when Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin lifted a puck in front over an open cage.

  The visitors also had an apparent goal waived off at 6:06 of the second when the referee lost sight of a puck that trickled through Niemi and was pushed over the line by Los Angeles forward Dustin Penner.

  "I'm sure it's in the rulebook," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "When the whistle blows, what are they (refs) going to come and tell us? Are they going to come and say they lost the puck and they blew the whistle?

  The Sharks scored the only goal of a first period they completely dominated.

  San Jose outshot the Kings 15-3 in the period, had two power plays and scored at even strength. The Sharks won 17 of the period's 22 draws (15 of 17 at even strength) and had another 14 drives toward the Los Angeles net blocked.

  Joe Thornton's line caused trouble for Kings defensemen Drew Doughty and Robyn Regehr the entire period, and it was the San Jose captain's line that struck 5-on-5 when Thornton hooked up with Burns.

  "They were very good early, established a relentless forecheck and used their size to their advantage," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said of Thornton's line. "The momentum they created ran throughout the rest of the lines and everyone jumped on board."

  Richards blocked a Burns attempt off a Thornton feed, but the puck bounced back to the San Jose center, who found Burns alone to the right of Quick. Burns' one-timer beat Quick high at 6:09 on the host's fifth shot of the game.

  "It's a passer's dream to have a guy that size," Thornton said of Burns. "Instead of a three-foot range, it's like a 10-foot range to get him the puck. It's easy playing with him."

  Justin Williams put the Kings' third shot on goal at 10:02, but Los Angeles didn't force a save from Niemi the rest of the period.

  San Jose put a combined four shots on goal on consecutive power plays -- Fraser for hooking Patrick Marleau at 13:19 and Doughty for slashing Marc-Edouard Vlasic at 15:26.

  Tommy Wingels rang a drive off the crossbar with eight seconds left in the

  second minor.

  "I think we battled back and made it close, but you don't get much for making it close," Sutter said.

  NOTES: After much conjecture what line juggling might occur in the two idle days between Games 3 and 4, it turns out the Sharks and Kings made only one change each up front. San Jose promoted James Sheppard to play alongside Scott Gomez and Tommy Wingels on a third line that lost LW Martin Havlat to a recurring injury after just one period of Game 3. Tim Kennedy slid into Sheppard's former left wing spot on the fourth line next to Andrew Desjardins and Bracken Kearns. ... The Kings inserted rugged Kyle Clifford on to a fourth line that included Brad Richardson and Colin Fraser, as Tanner Pearson took a seat in the press box. Los Angeles made a change on defense, dressing Matt Greene in place of Keaton Ellerby. ... Injured Sharks D Jason Demers (ankle) and RW Adam Burish (hand) skated with the team, and they could see action before the series ends.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Dominant through two periods, the San Jose Sharks held on for dear life in the third to beat the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 and even their best-of-seven playoff series at two wins apiece.

• Los Angeles outshot San Jose 14-2 in the final 20 minutes but could not rally from a 2-0 deficit. Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal is Thursday in Los Angeles.

  Mike Richards jammed home a power-play goal at 9:46 on Los Angeles' 16th shot of the game to cut the margin to a goal. The Kings enjoyed a long cycle in the San Jose end and finally solved Sharks goalie Antti Niemi after Brent Burns boarded Anze Kopitar at 8:14.

  The ice that was tilted in San Jose's favor for one period carried over to the second session. The Sharks scored the only goal -- on the power play -- and tightened up defensively late when the Kings finally made their first push of the game.

  Los Angeles forward Colin Fraser roughed San Jose's Andrew Desjardins in the L.A. end at 3:14 and it took the hosts just 41 seconds to convert after two failed opening-period 5-on-4s.

  Logan Couture scored his fifth goal of the playoff season by redirecting Dan Boyle's point drive past Kings goalie Jonathan Quick at 3:55. It appeared Boyle's blast might have hit the stick of Kings forward Anze Kopitar as well.

  Los Angeles was held without a shot on two late-period power plays. However, the Sharks dodged a bullet early in the second short-handed situation when Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin lifted a puck in front over an open cage.

  The visitors also had an apparent goal waived off at 6:06 when the referee lost sight of a puck that trickled through Niemi and was pushed over the line by Los Angeles forward Dustin Penner.

  The Sharks scored the only goal of a first period they completely dominated.

  San Jose outshot the Kings 15-3 in the period, had two power plays and scored at even strength. The Sharks won 17 of the period's 22 draws (15 of 17 at even strength) and had another 14 drives toward the Los Angeles net blocked.

  Joe Thornton's line caused trouble for Kings defensemen Drew Doughty and Robyn Regehr the entire period and it was the captain's line that struck 5-on-5 when Thornton hooked up with Burns.

  Richards blocked a Burns attempt off a Thornton feed, but the puck bounced back to the San Jose center, who found Burns alone to the right of Quick. Burns' one-timer beat Quick high at 6:09 on the host's fifth shot of the game.

  Justin Williams put the Kings' third shot of the period on goal at 10:02, but that was it for the remaining 9:58.

  San Jose put a combined four shots on goal on consecutive power plays -- Fraser for hooking Patrick Marleau at 13:19 and Doughty for slashing Marc-Edouard Vlasic at 15:26.

  Tommy Wingels rang a drive off the crossbar with eight seconds left in the

  second minor.

  NOTES: After much conjecture what line juggling might occur in the two idle days between Games 3 and 4, it turns out the Sharks and Kings made only one change each up front. San Jose promoted James Sheppard to play alongside Scott Gomez and Tommy Wingels on a third line that lost LW Martin Havlat to a recurring injury after just one period of Game 3. Tim Kennedy slid into Sheppard's former left wing spot on the fourth line next to Andrew Desjardins and Bracken Kearns. ... The Kings inserted rugged Kyle Clifford on to a fourth line that included Brad Richardson and Colin Fraser, as Tanner Pearson took a seat in the press box. Los Angeles made a change on defense, dressing Matt Greene in place of Keaton Ellerby. ... Injured Sharks D Jason Demers (ankle) and RW Adam Burish (hand) skated with the team, and they could see action before the series ends.

NEW YORK -- One of the universal truths in the Stanley Cup playoffs is that the teams that receive secondary scoring are usually the ones that win games and series.

• It is a axiom that the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers are experiencing firsthand with drastically different results.

  Daniel Paille's goal with 3:31 left in regulation was the winner in the Bruins' 2-1 victory over the Rangers in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

  The Bruins lead 3-0 in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is Thursday night in New York.

  "Every game is a tough game," Zdeno Chara said. "So we enjoy this win tonight and then get up and get ready for the next one."

  Paille shoved a rebound of a Shawn Thornton popup past Henrik Lundqvist at 16:29 of the third period for the winner. Lundqvist made the initial save on Thornton's shot but lost track of the rebound and Michael Del Zotto was unable to pick up Paille cruising behind the net.

  Boston has received major contributions from its fourth line of Gregory Campbell, Paille and Thornton in the series. The trio has two goals and four assists.

  "They were working hard," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. " They've scored some big goals for us in the playoffs.

  "We have confidence in that line."

  Paille's goal was Boston's second of the period. Johnny Boychuk tied the score at 1 with a slap shot which eluded Lundqvist. Boychuk gathered a Paille pass at the blue line and ripped a rocket that the New York netminder did not see.

  Boychuk has goals in consecutive games,and has scored four in the playoffs.

  "They are a good team at an important time of the year," New York captain Ryan Callahan said. "We knew they were going to push. I thought we had a pretty good third period, but we gave up (the tying and winnings goals) and we don't get one."

  The two goals were Lundqvist's lone mistakes, as he stopped 33 of 35 shots.

  Taylor Pyatt scored the only goal for the Rangers at 3:53 of the second period. Pyatt's second goal of the playoffs opened the scoring in Game 3. While tying up Dougie Hamilton and Chara in front of Rask, Pyatt tipped Ryan McDonagh's point shot.

  "Well, we were down, but we weren't playing that poorly," Chara said. "So we needed to stay aggressive, try to tie the game, and we just wanted to get pucks to the net. We did that and we were rewarded."

  But the Rangers were unable to expand their lead because of an inefficient power play (0 of 2 in the game and 2 of 38 in the playoffs) and Boston's defensive structure. New York was not able to get in front of Tuukka Rask, who had a relatively easy night for the third game in a row. Rask made 23 saves.

  "At times, we struggled to get through and when we got through we just didn't sustain our forecheck," John Tortorella said. "A team that is rolling their lines like they are, we need to have some time in their end zone. As the game went on, we were there less and less So it pops up on you.

  "It's pretty much a Catch-22. They kept on rolling and their fourth line scores a couple goals."

  NOTES: The Rangers-Bruins series was expected to be a war of attrition. Instead, one of the themes in the first two games was Boston's ability to use its speed effectively against the not-as-fleet-afoot Rangers. "Our transition game has been much better," Julien said. "Against the Rangers, you know you have to have a good transition game. You have less time to spend in your own end and I think our guys have understood that from the back end and the forwards. Our transition game has been better, no doubt, this round compared to the first (against the Toronto Maple Leafs)." ... Count Tortorella among Brad Richards' strongest backers. "He has made plays," Tortorella said when asked if he was surprised that Richards only has one point in nine playoff games. "He has made some plays along the way." ... After the Rangers' loss, home teams fell to 40-19 in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs. "I think today's game, it's a lot different from back in the (1970's) where there was really a distinct advantage playing at home," Tortorella said. "I don't think there is but there must be. The records show it." ...The Original Six rivals have met nine previous times in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Even though the Bruins have won six of the nine series, Boston has never swept New York in a best-of-seven playoff series. ...The Bruins did not have a power play in the game. New York's only penalty was Derek Dorsett's rough of Brad Marchand at 7:42 of the first period, but that was offset by the Boston forward's matching penalty for a cross-check on the New York right winger.

NEW YORK -- Daniel Paille's goal with 3:31 left in regulation was the game-winner in the Boston Bruins' 2-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

• The Bruins lead the best-of-seven series 3-0, and Game 4 is Thursday night in New York.

  Johnny Boychuk also scored for Boston, which received 23 saves from Tuukka Rask.

  Paille shoved a rebound of a Shawn Thornton pop-up past Henrik Lundqvist at the 16:29 mark of the third for the game-winner. Lundqvist made the initial save on Thornton's shot but lost track of the rebound and Michael Del Zotto was unable to pick up Paille cruising behind the net.

  Paille's goal was Boston's second of the period. Boychuk tied the game at 1-1 with a slapshot which eluded Lundqvist. Boychuk gathered a Paille pass at the blue line and ripped a rocket that the New York netminder did not see.

  The two goals were Lundqvist's lone mistakes, as he stopped 33 of 35 shots. Taylor Pyatt scored the only goal for the Rangers at the 3:53 mark of the second period. Pyatt's second goal of the playoffs opened the scoring in Game 3. While tying up Dougie Hamilton and Zdeno Chara in front of Rask, Pyatt tipped Ryan McDonagh's point shot.

  But the Rangers were unable to expand their lead due to an inefficient power play (0-for-2 in the game and 2-for-38 in the playoffs) and Boston's defensive structure. New York was not able to get in front of Rask, who had a relatively easy night for the third game in a row.

  NOTES: The Rangers-Bruins series was expected to be a war of attrition. Instead, one of the themes in the first two games was Boston's ability to use its speed effectively against the not-as-fleet-afoot Rangers. "Our transition game has been much better," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "Against the Rangers, you know you have to have a good transition game. You have less time to spend in your own end and I think our guys have understood that from the back end and the forwards. Our transition game has been better, no doubt, this round compared to the first (against the Toronto Maple Leafs)." ... Count John Tortorella among Brad Richards' strongest backers. "He has made plays," Tortorella said when asked if he was surprised that Richards only has one point in nine playoff games. "He has made some plays along the way."

Former NHL defenseman Phil Housley was named an assistant coach by the Nashville Predators on Tuesday,

• Housley's coaching experience includes serving as an assistant for the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the 2013 World Junior Championships.

  "Phil brings a unique skill set to our coaching staff," Predators general manager David Poile said. "He was one of the most talented offensive defensemen to play in the NHL, and he has worked extensively with young players during his coaching career. He will continue to focus his efforts on our young defensemen and assisting on the power play."

  Housley, 49, ranks fourth in NHL history in points by a defenseman with 1,232 (338 goals, 894 assists) and sixth in games played by a blue liner (1,495) during his 21 seasons (1982-2003). He also was a member of the U.S. team that won a silver medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

  "A coach with history as a defenseman who was offensively gifted and excelled on the power play is something we have never had on our coaching staff," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "His insight and viewpoint will bring a fresh perspective to our team."

Patrick Roy is close to becoming the next coach of the Colorado Avalanche, his younger brother told the Denver Post.

• "They're discussing the final details of an arrangement," Stephane Roy told the paper. "Colorado is going to be very happy. Patrick is looking for a new challenge.

  Stephane Roy posted on his Facebook page Monday night: "For all my friends I'd like you to know before the official news spreads that my older brother will be the new coach of the Colorado Avalanch(sic)."

  Roy, 47, has coached the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League since 2005, compiling a 307-128-32 record.

  This will be the second time Roy will leave the province of Quebec for Colorado. He played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1984 through the 1995-96 season before joining the Avalanche, where he helped the team to two Stanley Cup Championships. The Hall-of-Fame goaltender is the only player in NHL history to win a Conn Smythe in three different decades (1986, 1993 and 2001).

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings took care of the Western Conference's second seed in the first round and now they've got the advantage on the No. 1 seed.

• Jimmy Howard made 39 saves, and Detroit, which finished seventh and beat the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 at Joe Louis Arena on Monday night to take a 2-1 series lead over the Presidents' Trophy winners in the Western Conference semifinals.

  "As the year has gone on, we've gotten better. You have to play good enough and long enough to get some confidence," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "We got real good leadership. ... and we've got a bunch of kids who work hard."

  Game 4 is Thursday night in Detroit.

  Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart in the second period, and Pavel Datsyuk added a third-period goal for Detroit.

  "We don't want to get too high or two low; that's what Nicklas Lidstrom always used to say," Red Wings' defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said. "That's what we can't do. We just have to stay the course."

  Patrick Kane got Chicago's lone goal, and Corey Crawford stopped 27 shots. The Blackhawks got points in their first 24 games of the season en route on a 36-7-5 record.

  "We haven't had a lot of adversity this year and we just have to dig deep and battle," Crawford said.

  Kane's goal 4:35 into the third cut the Blackhawks' deficit to 2-1. He scored on a breakaway, beating Howard between the pads. It was Kane's second goal, and came seconds after Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson checked Detroit's Johan Franzen into the boards -- apparently from behind -- at the other end of the ice, leaving Franzen on the ice. Franzen went back to the bench where he was tended to by Red Wings trainer Piet Van Zant, and he returned to the game.

  "It should've been a two-minute penalty," Babcock said. "But this is the way I look at it: Those refs are trying to get to the Stanley Cup Finals, too, and it's fast. When I go in there and watch the replay, I go, 'That's a penalty.' They don't get to watch a replay."

  The Blackhawks had an apparent goal waved off 5:42 into the third period because Andrew Shaw was in the crease.

  "I disagree with the call. He didn't touch the goalie," said Chicago coach Joel Quenneville.

  Datsyuk restored Detroit's two-goal lead 6:46 into the third when he beat Crawford with a wrist shot from the left circle, high on the short side. It was Datsyuk's third goal of the playoffs.

  Detroit's third and fourth lines produced the second-period surge.

  Nyquist opened the scoring at 7:49 of the middle period when he took a pass off the boards, cut in off the right wing, put the puck between the skates of Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook, held onto the puck as he cut across the slot and beat Crawford -- who was out of position -- from deep in the left circle.

  "I'm crossing over, pushing the pace and try to make a move on the D," Nyquist said. "Went around him and faked a shot and tried to get Crawford down a little bit and then go around him. Fortunately it went in."

  It was Nyquist's second goal of the playoffs.

  Miller, who was playing in his second game since returning from a broken hand suffered on April 20, made it 2-0 at 8:20 when he poked in a puck that was lying in the crease.

  The Blackhawks outshot the Red Wings 40-30, including a 17-7 margin in the third period.

  NOTES: Chicago right winger Viktor Stalberg returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the first two games of the series. He returned to his usual spot on the third line with Shaw and Bryan Bickell. Dave Bolland, who played on that line the first two games against Detroit, moved to the second line with Kane and Brandon Saad. ... LW Daniel Carcillo was a healthy scratch. ... With a few young players coming of age, Detroit's upset of Anaheim in the first round and being tied with the Blackhawks at a game apiece coming into Monday night's Game 3, Babcock said this is the most fun he's had had coaching in a couple of years. ... Quenneville has never beaten the Red Wings in a playoff series. He has lost to Detroit five times -- in 1997, 1998 and 2002 as coach of the St. Louis Blues, 2008 with the Colorado Avalanche and 2009 with the Blackhawks.

DETROIT -- Jimmy Howard made 39 saves, and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 at Joe Louis Arena on Monday night to take a 2-1 series lead over the Presidents' Trophy winners in the Western Conference semifinals.

• Game 4 is Thursday night in Detroit.

  Gustav Nyquist and Drew Miller scored 31 seconds apart in the second period, and Pavel Datsyuk added a third-period goal for Detroit.

  Patrick Kane got Chicago's lone goal, and Corey Crawford stopped 27 shots.

  Kane's goal 4:35 into the third cut the Blackhawks' deficit to 2-1. He scored on a breakaway, beating Howard between the pads. It was Kane's second goal, and came seconds after Chicago's Niklas Hjalmarsson checked Detroit's Johan Franzen into the boards at the other end of the ice, leaving Franzen on the ice. Franzen went back to the bench after he was tended to by Red Wings trainer Piet Van Zant, and he returned to the game.

  The Blackhawks had an apparent goal waved off 5:42 into the third period because Andrew Shaw was in the crease.

  Datsyuk restored Detroit's two-goal lead 6:46 into the third when he beat Crawford with a wrist shot from the left circle, high on the short side. It was Datsyuk's third goal of the playoffs.

  Detroit's third and fourth lines produced the second-period surge.

  Nyquist opened the scoring at 7:49 of the middle period when he took a pass off the boards, cut in off the right wing, put the puck between the skates of Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook, held onto the puck as he cut across the slot and beat Crawford -- who was out of position -- from deep in the left circle. It was Nyquist's second goal of the playoffs.

  Miller, who was playing in his second game since returning from a broken hand suffered on April 20, made it 2-0 at 8:20 when he poked in a puck that was lying in the crease.

  The Blackhawks outshot the Red Wings 40-30, including a 17-7 margin in the third period.

  NOTES: Chicago right winger Viktor Stalberg returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the first two games of the series. He returned to his usual spot on the third line with Andrew Shaw and Bryan Bickell. Dave Bolland, who played on that line the first two games against Detroit, moved to the second line with Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad. LW Daniel Carcillo was a healthy scratch. ... With a few young players coming of age, Detroit's upset of Anaheim in the first round and being tied with the Blackhawks at a game apiece coming into Monday night's Game 3, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said this is the most fun he's had had coaching in a couple of years.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin has had reconstructive knee surgery to repair a torn ACL, the team announced Monday.

• The Ducks hope he'll be ready for the start of the 2013-14 regular season.

  Ducks general manager Bob Murray told reporters last week that Beauchemin, 32, played the final month of the regular season and playoffs with the injury.

  Beauchemin had six goals and 18 assists during the regular season, and he added two goals and four assists in seven playoff games.

San Jose Sharks right wing Martin Havlat, who returned from a five-game absence to play in Game 3 of the series against the Los Angeles Kings, will be sidelined again for Tuesday's Game 4 with a lower-body injury.

• Sharks head coach Todd McLellan told reporters Monday he wasn't sure whether Havlat aggravated the same injury he suffered during the opening game of the Vancouver series.

  Havlat, 32, had eight goals and 10 assists in 40 games during the regular season. He has no points in two postseason games.

  Forward Tim Kennedy could re-enter the lineup after playing Game 2 before being scratched from Game 3.

  ---- Three team captains, Los Angeles' Dustin Brown, Chicago's Jonathan Toews, and Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson have been announced as the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award nominees.

  The award is for "the player who exemplifies great leadership qualities to his team, on and off the ice during the regular season."

  ---The Anaheim Ducks have agreed to terms with center William Karlsson on a three-year entry-level deal.

  Karlsson, 20, was Anaheim's second-round pick in the 2011 draft. He won this year's Swedish Elite League rookie of the year honor, collecting four goals and 24 assists in 50 games with HV71.

  --- The Nashville Predators announced they signed forward Mark Van Guilder to a two-year, $550,000 contract.

  Van Guilder, 29, spent his fourth season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL and ranked fifth on the team with 14 goals, and tied for fifth with 32 points.

  ---Hall-of-Fame goalie Patrick Roy is a candidate for the vacant head coaching position with the Colorado Avalanche, The Denver Post reported.

  He was offered Colorado's head coaching job in 2009 before turning it down.

  --Wojtek Wolski, who played a limited role for the Washington Capitals this past season, signed with Torpedo Nizhni Novgorod in the Kontinental Hockey League, according to the Washington Post.