Although 3-1 leads have evaporated in each of the three contests, the Pittsburgh Penguins will seize that very advantage in their Eastern Conference first-round series should they defeat the host Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 4 on Wednesday. Pittsburgh overcame the two-goal deficit en route to a 4-3 triumph in the series opener before scoring three goals in a 2-minute, 13-second span in an identical victory in Game 3 on Monday.

After showing twice that they could play with the top club in the Western Conference, the Dallas Stars proved they could beat them. Dallas now looks to even its first-round series when it hosts Game 4 against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. The Stars, who haven't been in the postseason since 2008, began the series with a pair of one-goal losses on the road before putting forth a superb effort in a 3-0 home triumph on Monday.

Facing the prospect of seeing his team pushed to the brink of elimination, Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville elected to reunite captain Jonathan Toews with Patrick Kane on the same line. Toews opened the scoring and Corey Crawford turned aside all 34 shots he faced as Chicago skated to a 2-0 triumph in Game 3 to halve its deficit in the Western Conference first-round series.