NHL Playoffs: Flames beat Canucks, 3-1, and take 3-1 lead in series

Jiri Hudler had a goal and an assist and the host Calgary Flames earned a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau scored his first playoff goal and 18-year-old rookie Sam Bennett had his second in as many games. Dennis Wideman had a pair of assists for the Flames, who split the first two games of the series in Vancouver before consecutive wins at home.

Goaltender Jonas Hiller made 28 saves for Calgary.

Captain Henrik Sedin scored for the Canucks. Starter Eddie Lack was pulled after giving up three goals on seven shots in the first period. Ryan Miller turned away the 15 shots he faced in relief.

The Flames have not advanced past the first round since 2004.

Washington 2, at N.Y. Islanders 1 (OT): Nicklas Backstrom scored 11:09 into overtime and the Capitals evened their Eastern Conference series with the Islanders at 2-2.

Alex Ovechkin also scored and assisted on the decisive goal, which came off a faceoff to the right of the Islanders net. Backstrom dug the puck out in the right corner and worked his way up the boards. He snapped a shot near the blue line that went through a crowd and sneaked inside the far post.

It was the second consecutive game decided in overtime, after John Tavares needed 15 seconds to seal the Islanders’ 2-1 win on Sunday.

Ovechkin opened the scoring at 13:06 of the first period. Casey Cizikas scored New York goal with 13 seconds left in the opening period.

at Detroit 3, Tampa Bay 0: Petr Mrazek made 22 saves for his first postseason shutout, and Pavel Datsyuk, Riley Sheahan and Luke Glendening scored and the Red Wings took a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference series.

The 23-year-old Mrazek was Coach Mike Babcock’s choice to start in this series instead of Jimmy Howard, and the youngster has acquitted himself well in his postseason debut. He made 44 saves in a 3-2 victory in the opener, and although he was pulled after two periods in a 5-1 loss the following game, Mrazek bounced back nicely at home.

After being outshot badly in the first two games at Tampa Bay, the Red Wings were able to contain the high-scoring Lightning in a tightly contested matchup.

Detroit forward Justin Abdelkader returned from a hand injury and played for the first time since April 4. He assisted on Sheahan’s power-play goal in the third period.

The Red Wings opened the scoring with 11:14 left in the first when Tomas Tatar’s shot from the point appeared to deflect off Datsyuk’s right leg and past goalie Ben Bishop for the 36-year-old center’s 41st career playoff goal.

at Chicago 3, Nashville 2 (3OT): Brent Seabrook scored on a shot from the blue line one minute into the third overtime to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday in Game 4 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

Seabrook’s goal, on the 100th shot of the game, gave the host Blackhawks a 3-1 lead in the series.

Antoine Vermette and Brandon Saad had the other Chicago goals. Colin Wilson and James Neal scored for Nashville.