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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ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenceman Mike Reilly from Iowa of the AHL. The Wild trail Dallas 2-0 in their best-of-seven playoff series. Reilly was recalled on Sunday and is expected to be ready if needed for Game 3 in...

Bruce Boudreau isn't sweating his goalie situation.

John Gibson allowed three goals on 33 shots in a Game 1 loss to the Nashville Predators, and the head coach is expecting a strong follow-up performance to help his team tie the series.

"John knows I have faith in him," Boudreau said Sunday. "If he has a sub-par game, the next game is usually very good."

Recent history would suggest this is indeed the case.

To wit, Gibson's worst performance of the season came in his hometown of Pittsburgh, where he allowed six goals on 31 shots to the Penguins. In his next appearance, he came in relief of Frederik Andersen and allowed only one goal on 17 shots to preserve a win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

More recently, Gibson followed up a loss to lowly Vancouver by giving up a single goal in a win over Dallas.

Boudreau, then, is counting on more of the same. If Gibson should falter, however, the coach probably won't be slow to give him the hook in favor of Andersen.

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The Philadelphia Flyers would love to line up Alex Ovechkin with a big hit. Brayden Schenn, especially.

The Washington Capitals superstar rocked Schenn into the Flyers' bench Saturday night, and Schenn hasn't forgotten - nor will he.

"He took a run at me," Schenn said, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale. "He's always looking for that big hit and we have to try and lay a licking on him."

While Ovechkin only has one goal in the series, which Washington leads 2-0, he's made his impact, alright. Ovechkin was credited with four hits in Game 1, one of them knocking Sean Couturier - the man who was supposed to shut the Russian down - out for the series with what's thought to be a shoulder injury. Ovechkin had seven hits in Game 2.

"Sometimes you just have to play physical," Ovechkin said, according to The Washington Post's Isabelle Khurshudyan. "If you don't have an opportunity ot do something else, you play physical. You play simple and the other guys are going to follow you."

With Ovechkin leading the way, the Capitals are already halfway to the second round. And about that licking, the Flyers are running out of time.

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Blame Steve Mason all you want. The Philadelphia Flyers are standing by their embattled goalie.

Mason allowed a brutal goal Saturday night in Game 2 against the Washington Capitals, a 100-footer by Jason Chimera that may come to define the series. The Flyers are down 2-0 heading home, but all indications are that Mason will be in the crease Monday night.

The goal, if you missed it:

"That's not something we've talked about," head coach Dave Hakstol said Sunday when asked if Michal Neuvirth may get the Game 3 nod, according to NHL.com's Mike Morreale.

Feeling here is PHI players speaking this morning would want to see Mason back in net to help pick him up. "He's the reason we're ever here"

— Mike Morreale (@mikemorrealeNHL) April 17, 2016

Mason was a beast down the stretch for the Flyers, ensuring postseason hockey would be played in Philadelphia. But he may be fatigued, as evidenced by his .889 save percentage and 3.10 goals-against average through two playoff games.

Problem is, Mason doesn't have much room for error, not against the Capitals, who have Braden Holtby in their crease. Holtby's stopped 60 of 61 shots through two games. He lives for this time of year.

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The Anaheim Ducks will have help on the blue line for Sunday's Game 2 against the Nashville Predators.

Defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who hasn't played since March 24 as a result of an upper-body injury, will be back in the lineup, head coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed.

The 34-year-old averaged 21 minutes a night in 71 appearances for the Ducks during the regular season, contributing four goals and 11 assists.

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For Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, it has to be tempting.

As his club's first-round series against the Rangers shifts to New York, Sullivan was asked about potentially playing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin - who returned to the lineup for the first time since March 11 on Saturday - on the same line. He didn't rule it out, but he didn't commit to the idea, either.

"There's no reason why two players that are as good as they are cannot work together," Sullivan said Sunday, according to the Penguins' website.

Here's more from Sullivan's media availability on the topic, as transcribed by the Penguins' website:

I'm not sure that they haven't worked together in the past. I know that they've played together at times in the past and at times they've been apart. We should have the ability to do both, play them together at times and play them apart at times. They seem to work extremely well on the power play together. When Geno was in the lineup prior to getting hurt our power play was, for probably a five- or six-week span, was at 30-percent plus. I'm not one of those guys that throws an opinion around just because they've been used at times together in the past and certain people think it will work or it won't work. I believe that two very good players have the ability to play with anybody and adapt their game accordingly because of their talent. Having said that, I'm not convinced that I'll use them together moving forward. That's something that is an option for us. If we do choose to go that route, there's no reason why two players that are as good as they are cannot work together. They're two elite players that think the game on a high level, and they have the ability to play a down low game and a fast, speed game off of the rush. That’s really the way I look at it. I know there's been different schools of thought, theories in the past of how these guys have been used. Another comment that I would have is that I think both of these guys are in a different place than they were in the previous years. They're a little bit older. They have more experience under their belt. They probably have the benefit of a little bit more perspective because they've gone through different experiences. We all learn from our experiences. For me, that's how you gain wisdom. I think these guys from a mindset standpoint are in a very different place than they have been in the past.

Malkin was used on the wing in Game 2, which the Penguins lost. Asked whether he agreed with the move, Malkin admitted it had been difficult.

"I think no because it's a little bit tough," said Malkin - a natural center, and one of the best - told reporters, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Seth Rorabaugh. "I like to play my position the whole game. I think it's just one game because we have five centers and it's a little bit tough for coach. I think next game, I will play center."

We'll find out Tuesday.

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Take heart, Steve Mason, for you are not alone.

The Philadelphia Flyers goalie allowed an embarrassing and perhaps series-defining goal off Jason Chimera's stick from 100 feet away, one that ended up being the Game 2 winner for the Washington Capitals.

Related: Mason takes responsibility for gaffe: 'I messed up'

Mason isn't the first to make such a mistake, and hopefully, for entertainment purposes, won't be the last.

Owen Nolan on Roman Turek

In Game 7 of an opening-round series back in 2000, Owen Nolan beat Roman Turek with a late first-period slap shot from center ice that gave the San Jose Sharks a 2-0 lead over the St. Louis Blues.

It proved to be the game-winning goal, sending San Jose to the conference semifinals.

Sandis Ozolinsh on Martin Brodeur

This one came from a bit closer in, but was scored in the 2003 Stanley Cup Final and on a mistake made by arguably the greatest goaltender of all time.

While Sandis Ozolinsh managed to make Martin Brodeur look foolish, the New Jersey Devils got the last laugh by raising the Cup.

Derek Morris on Jonathan Quick

The (then Phoenix) Coyotes made a surprise appearance in the Western Conference Final in 2012, where Derek Morris rifled a slap shot that eluded Jonathan Quick, who's generally considered one of the best playoff performers over the past several seasons.

Nicklas Lidstrom on Dan Cloutier

Vancouver built up a 2-0 series lead as the eighth seed facing off against the Presidents' Trophy winners from Detroit in 2002. With the score tied late in the second period of Game 3, Nicklas Lidstrom beat Dan Cloutier from center ice.

Detroit went on to win that contest and the next three to take the series, making this goal the definition of a turning point.

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