Jack Capuano brought a goal back for the New York Islanders in Game 3 on Sunday night, successfully contending that Jonathan Huberdeau brought the puck in offside before Aaron Ekblad scored the Florida Panthers' third goal.

After breaking it down with another frame-by-frame review, it was determined that Huberdeau's back foot crossed the blue line before the puck entered the zone as the rubber rattled between his skates.

(Courtesy: MSG/NBCSN)

Ryan Pulock scored for the Islanders soon after, cutting the lead to one, but the Panthers would score their third goal just moments after.

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Andreas Athanasiou would not be denied.

The Detroit Red Wings forward opened the scoring in Game 3 with his first career playoff goal after pounding a one-timer past Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop.

The goal came late in the second period, and could have been the 21-year-old's second of the game had he made good on a ridiculous spin-o-rama effort in the first period.

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Though their composition entered largely unchanged, Corey Crawford sees an entirely different opponent in the St. Louis Blues.

"Whatever happens in the season, whatever's happened in years before, they're not the same team," the Blackhawks netminder said after their 3-2 loss to the Blues on Sunday.

And he's right. Because after every major decision went in their favor in a slim 3-2 victory in Game 2, the defending champs should be considered fortunate to be down 2-1 to a team that's won one postseason series over the last five tournament bids.

But what is it, exactly, that's the difference for a team looking to shake its label as Western Conference doormats?

So far, it's not an offense with six goals in three games. You wouldn't hang it on a total team defense allowing 37 shots per outing. And while Ken Hitchcock's mild reaction to Vladimir Tarasenko's series-altering wiped-out goal in Game 2 relayed confidence, his focus on the team totaling 70 hits ostensibly crosses off the possibility of a new, progressive style.

Really, the only discernible difference so far has been the spectacular play of Brian Elliott, and his numbers through three games that tower over what Ryan Miller and Jake Allen were able to provide the previous two seasons.

For what it's worth, Miller's forgettable save clip came in a six-game defeat to the Blackhawks.

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The Chicago Blackhawks have lost just once in regulation when leading into the third period over the last two seasons.

Regrettably, that failed conversion just happened in Game 3 of their first-round series against the St. Louis Blues.

Patrik Berglund and Jaden Schwartz's goals scored a little more than eight minutes apart in the third period of Sunday's matinee sullied an incredible 70-0-4 run in games in which Chicago led after 40 minutes in the previous two seasons.

Chicago's last blown lead came in another critical juncture - Game 2 of the 2014 Western Conference final versus the Los Angeles Kings.

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Hockey fans are in luck, as it appears the Stanley Cup Final has come early.

The St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks are through just three games of the opening round, but the intensity of three one-goal contests has begun to mimic something much greater.

"This feels very much like a Final and it's the first round," Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Both teams are laying it out there."

The Blues used a third-period rally Sunday to top the Blackhawks 3-2, something the head coach wasn't surprised to see from his club.

"We've come back so many times," Hitchcock said, according to The Athletic Chicago's Scott Powers. "It doesn't seem to be a problem with this group."

Unfortunately for both clubs, the winner will still have to endure three more grueling series before they can lay claim to Lord Stanley. Game 4 of the thrilling quarterfinal matchup goes Tuesday.

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CHICAGO - Jaden Schwartz scored at 13:32 of the third period with Patrick Kane in the penalty box for high-sticking, and the St. Louis Blues beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Sunday for a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Related: Watch: Blues break down Blackhawks, scoring dagger with 1-touch sequence

Patrik Berglund also scored in the third as St. Louis rallied for the win after a difficult 3-2 loss in Game 2 that included two key coach's challenges that went against the Blues. Brian Elliott made 44 saves, keeping St. Louis in the game during Chicago's strong second period.

Kane, the NHL's leading scorer this season and one of the favorites for league MVP, got four minutes for a high stick on defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, and St. Louis made the most of the chance to go in front.

Vladimir Tarasenko passed down low to David Backes, who sent it right to Schwartz in the slot. He beat Crawford low on the glove side for his third career playoff goal and a 3-2 lead with 6:38 left.

The Blackhawks pulled Corey Crawford for an extra attacker with 1:10 remaining, but Elliott and the Blues held on. Game 4 is Tuesday night in Chicago.

Brent Seabrook and Artem Anisimov scored for the Blackhawks, who dropped to 28-7 in home playoff games since the 2013 postseason. It was their first home playoff game since they hoisted the Stanley Cup at the United Center last June.

Anisimov's fluttering shot past Elliott at 1:04 of the second put Chicago in front, and Crawford's stellar play helped preserve the 2-1 lead for a while.

First, Crawford stuffed Carl Gunnarsson on a nice look in front. Then Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival had an ugly turnover and Crawford made an outstanding glove save on Jori Lehtera at 5:31.

The sellout crowd of 22,207 responded with cheers of ''Co-rey! Co-rey!'' and then resumed the chants after the goaltender turned away Lehtera again and Tarasenko on a couple more prime opportunities. He finished with 33 saves.

Elliott had his own series of impressive stops on a Blackhawks power play in the second. He also caught a break when Andrew Ladd's shot bounced off the left post and then the right one with about 6:20 to go.

Berglund tied it at 5:15 of the third when his shot from the middle of the ice went off the inside of Rozsival's right leg and then skipped over Crawford's glove.

The pace of play only picked up after the teams exchanged power-play goals in the first, with Brent Seabrook scoring for Chicago and Colton Parayko responding for St. Louis. The Blackhawks outshot the Blues 24-13 in the second.

NOTES: Blues C Steve Ott replaced Ryan Reaves in the lineup for his first game since Dec. 5. Ott had hamstring surgery and then was diagnosed with colitis. ... Blackhawks F Dale Weise, who was acquired in a Feb. 26 trade with Montreal, got into the lineup for the first time in the series. F Richard Panik also was active, while Fs Andrew Desjardins and Brandon Mashinter were on the scratch list.

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The St. Louis Blues have jumped out to a 2-1 series lead over the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday thanks in large part to a beautiful puck-moving sequence on a late power play.

Watch Vladimir Tarasenko, David Backes, and Jaden Schwartz dizzy defenders, carving Chicago's kill with one-touch movement in the attacking third.

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Corey Crawford is determined to stop the St. Louis Blues by any means necessary.

Approaching the midway portion of the second period, Crawford made a series of outrageous stops during this mad scramble to preserve a one-goal lead for the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3.

By the way, that sequence was preceded by this denial on Blues forward Jori Lehtera.

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