NHL PLAYOFFS : Jets Strike Down Canucks on a Goal by Olczyk, 3-2

When the strike began more than two weeks ago, the Winnipeg Jets were playing as well as any team in the NHL.

The Stanley Cup season began Saturday night and the Jets apparently didn’t lose their edge during the layoff.

Ed Olczyk scored on a breakaway early in the third period at Vancouver to lift the Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Smythe Division champions.

The Canucks, who amassed 96 points during the season, their highest total ever, took a 2-1 lead when rookie Pavel Bure scored late in the second period.

But Evgeny Davydov, who joined the Jets after helping the former Soviet Union win the gold medal at the Winter Games, tied the score on a power play 10 seconds after the faceoff to start the third period.

The loss cost the Canucks, who finished 15 points ahead of the Jets during the regular season, the home-ice advantage. The second game of the best-of-seven series will be played at Vancouver on Monday night.

Minnesota 4, Detroit 3--It was a good night for fourth-place teams against division winners.

The North Stars, who shocked the league by advancing to the Stanley Cup final round last spring, trailed by 3-2 after two periods at Detroit.

But the North Stars’ top scoring line, featuring Brian Bellows and Jim Johnson, took charge during the third period.

First, Johnson scored on a power play to tie the score. Then, with 6:15 to play in regulation, Johnson passed to Bellows, who fired in a long shot from the right boards to break the tie.

Detroit goaltender Tim Cheveldae apparently never saw the puck.

“I had no idea where it was,” he said. “I didn’t see Bellows shoot it. At the last second I saw it coming at me.”

Sergei Federov scored twice for the Red Wings, and Steve Yzerman scored the other goal.

Jon Casey, who played well during the playoffs last season, appears back in form for the North Stars. He stopped 23 shots, including several difficult saves during the last period, when he stopped all nine he faced.

Chicago 3, St. Louis 1--The Blackhawks won their playoff opener for the first time in seven years.

Brian Noonan scored twice and the Blackhawks shut down Brett Hull, who scored 70 goals during the season.

Noonan, who had only four goals after the first of the year, changed the momentum of the game with his first goal at 15:08 of the second period, making the score 1-1.

The Blackhawks dominated the rest of the game.