ESPN

DETROIT -- Here’s a quick look at the Detroit Red Wings' 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series at Joe Louis Arena on Monday.

How it happened: The Red Wings shifted the game’s momentum during a 31-second span in the second period. First, the Red Wings’ Gustav Nyquist raced to a loose puck near the blue line, pushed the puck to his left beyond the reach of Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook and then waited out diving attempts by Seabrook and Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford before shooting from the left circle and into the net at 7:49. Before the buzz from the crowd had ceased, the Red Wings were at it again. Off a turnover by Blackhawks defenseman Michal Rozsival in his defensive zone, Red Wings forward Cory Emmerton quickly got the puck to Patrick Eaves. Eaves put back-to-back shots on Crawford, and Drew Miller eventually finished off the job with a Detroit goal at 8:20. Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane pulled his team within a goal when he scored at 4:35 of the third period, but the Red Wings answered with a goal by Pavel Datsyuk at 6:46. The Red Wings killed off all four of the Blackhawks’ power plays. Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard made 39 saves.

Player of the game: The Blackhawks had their share of quality chances, but Howard was there nearly every time to stop them. Howard has had 30-plus saves in six playoff games this season.

What it means: The Red Wings have taken control of the series and have gone ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. With another home game upcoming, the Red Wings have a chance to secure a commanding series lead. The Blackhawks, who were the league’s best team in the regular season, haven’t faced much adversity this season, but they’re in a difficult spot now. Their power play has continued to struggle; Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad have yet to score in the playoffs. The Hawks need to win at least once in Detroit and the Red Wings are playing with confidence and the momentum.

What’s next: The series remains in Detroit with Game 4 coming on Thursday night. The Blackhawks will return to Chicago to practice on Tuesday and Wednesday.

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Detroit Red Wings' 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series at the United Center on Saturday.

How it happened: The Red Wings came ready to play in Game 2 after being outperformed for much of the series opener. They contained the Blackhawks’ attack to 20 shots after allowing them 42 shots in Game 1. On the other end, the Red Wings picked up their offensive game. After Patrick Kane scored to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead in the first period, the Red Wings responded with four consecutive goals. Damien Brunner and Brendan Smith scored in the second period, and Johan Franzen and Valtteri Filppula added goals in the third period. Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard made 19 saves. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford made 26 saves. Chicago killed four power plays and improved to 24-for-24 on the penalty kill in the playoffs.

Player of the game: Henrik Zetterberg was a factor on both ends of the ice. He helped contain the Blackhawks’ top line, especially Jonathan Toews, and dished out the puck for two assists.

What it means: The Red Wings evened the series at 1-1 and were able to steal a game in Chicago. It’s the first time the Red Wings have defeated the Blackhawks since last season. Chicago was riding an eight-game winning streak over Detroit.

What’s next: The series will move to Detroit for Game 3 on Monday.

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series at the United Center on Wednesday.

How it happened: The Blackhawks dominated the puck the final two periods and were rewarded in the final one. Defenseman Johnny Oduya broke a 1-1 tie with a goal at 8:02 of the third period. Blackhawks forwards Marcus Kruger and Patrick Sharp added goals later in the period to provide the final score. After the Blackhawks were outshot 7-6 in the first period, they outshot the Red Wings 36-14 the rest of the way. Marian Hossa put the Blackhawks ahead 1-0 when he scored on the power play at 9:03 of the first period. The Red Wings answered quickly and tied the game when Damien Brunner scored at 10:57. Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard kept his team in the game throughout the night, but eventually the Blackhawks broke through with their continuous shooting. Howard made 38 saves. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford made 20 saves.

Player of the game: Sharp was a factor all over the ice. He had one goal, two assists, seven shots, two hits, one blocked shot and one takeaway. He also won 3-of-4 faceoffs.

What it means: The Blackhawks didn’t look like a team which had been off for nearly a week. They regained their playoff intensity and controlled the game for the final two periods. As good as the Blackhawks were offensively, their penalty kill was a major factor again. After holding the Minnesota Wild scoreless on 17 power-play opportunities in the first round, the Blackhawks killed off all three of the Red Wings’ power plays on Wednesday. The teams were meeting for the 800th time in their franchises’ histories.

What’s next: The teams will have two days off before they meet again. Game 2 will be in Chicago at noon on Saturday.

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-0 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series at the Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday.

How it happened: Patrick Sharp continued his playoff roll as he scored two more goals to lead the Blackhawks to the victory. Sharp notched his first when he redirected a shot by Michal Handzus in the first period. He added a second when he stole a pass and beat Wild goaltender Darcy Kuemper with a wrist shot from the left circle in the second period. Kuemper started the second period, replacing starter Josh Harding, who left with an injury. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford made 25 saves and posted the Blackhawks’ first playoff shutout since April 21, 2011, when Crawford stopped 36 shots against the Vancouver Canucks. The Blackhawks killed six power plays. Bryan Bickell scored the Blackhawks’ final goal in the third period. He has three goals in the series.

Player of the game: Sharp had a quiet regular season due to injuries, but he’s making up for it in the playoffs. He scored six goals in 28 regular-season games and now has four goals in four playoff games.

What it means: The Blackhawks took a 3-1 series advantage and regained the momentum after being outplayed in Game 3. The Blackhawks will have a chance on Thursday to advance past the conference quarterfinals for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2010; they have been eliminated in the first round the past two seasons. The Blackhawks’ penalty kill came up huge again in Tuesday’s win. The Wild have been held scoreless on 15 power plays in the series.

What’s next: The series returns to Chicago for Game 5 on Thursday.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Here’s a quick look at the Minnesota Wild’s 3-2 overtime win over Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series at the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday.

How it happened: Wild forward Jason Zucker delivered the game-winning goal after two minutes and 15 seconds of overtime. The Wild put an emphasis on being more physical and aggressive after dropping the first two games to the Blackhawks, and that’s exactly what they did. The Wild hit the Blackhawks up and down the ice and made everything difficult on them. The Wild outhit the Blackhawks 34-13 and also carried that over to their offensive game by outshooting the Blackhawks 37-27. It wasn’t until the later stages of the third period that the Blackhawks found some life again. Down 2-1 in the third period, Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith blasted a shot from the left circle into the net to tie the game at two at 17:14. Wild forward Zach Parise initially put his team ahead with a backhanded shot into the top right corner at 3:09 of the third period. Blackhawks defenseman Johnny Oduya scored the game’s first goal in the first period, and the Wild’s Pierre-Marc Bouchard answered later in the period. Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane accounted for two assists and has five assists in the series. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford made 34 saves, and Wild goaltender Josh Harding made 25 saves.

Player of the game: Zucker came through with the game-winner.

What it means: The Wild needed to win Sunday to keep their series hopes alive. The Blackhawks still lead the series 2-1, but the Wild found a formula which they will continue to try to use in the coming games against the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks could have shrugged off a loss against a desperate team, but Sunday’s loss has to be disturbing to them in the way the Wild dominated most of the game.

What’s next: Game 4 of the series will be held in Minnesota on Tuesday. Game 5 will be in Chicago on Thursday.

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks’ 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series at the United Center on Friday.

How it happened: The Blackhawks came out the aggressors on Friday, unlike in Game 1. After compiling just six shots on goal in the first period on Tuesday, Chicago surpassed that number within the game’s first six minutes on Friday. The Blackhawks’ steady attack first paid off when Andrew Shaw put a shot on net and Michael Frolik knocked in the rebound at 8:34 of the first period. Frolik continued with the hot stick in the second period and added a short-handed goal to put the Blackhawks ahead 2-0. The Wild’s Devin Setoguchi pulled his team within a goal later in the second period, but Patrick Sharp gave the Blackhawks some breathing room again with an early third-period goal. Sharp added his second goal when Patrick Kane delivered a spinning, no-look pass to him in front of the net later in the period. Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell scored an empty-net goal in the game’s final seconds. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford made 26 saves. Wild goaltender Josh Harding made 43 saves in the loss.

Player of the game: Frolik hasn’t had the best of luck converting chances in the regular season the past few seasons, but that seems to change every postseason. He now has six goals in 13 career playoff games. He’s had eight regular-season goals in the past two seasons.

What it means: The Blackhawks took a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series and are in good shape as the series moves to Minnesota for the next two games. The Blackhawks took control of the game early by placing shot after shot on net. The Wild were still able to block 21 shots, but it didn’t matter with the 48 shots Chicago still got through to the net. The Blackhawks haven’t allowed a power-play goal in six chances this series.

What’s next: Game 3 of the series will be held in Minnesota on Sunday.

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 2-1 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild at the United Center on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

How it happened: Blackhawks forward Bryan Bickell continued to be a playoff star as he scored the game-winner in overtime off a pass from Viktor Stalberg. It was Bickell’s fifth playoff goal in the past three seasons. The eighth-seeded Wild initially shocked the sold-out Blackhawks crowd by scoring on their first shot of the game. The Wild went ahead 1-0 when Cal Clutterbuck beat Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford from the left circle at 4:48 of the first period. Crawford bounced back from the early goal and stopped the Wild’s next 26 shots. The Blackhawks evened the game at 1-1 when Patrick Kane dished the puck off to Marian Hossa on the rush, and Hossa finished from the left circle at 2:06 of the second period. Wild goaltender Josh Harding replaced Niklas Backstrom as the team’s starter just before the game. Harding, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis earlier this year, played in five games during the regular season. He made 36 saves.

Player of the game: Harding stepped up in a difficult situation. He hadn’t started since Jan. 30 and found out just before Tuesday’s game he was going to have to replace Backstrom. In his last start, which also happened to be against the Blackhawks, he allowed two goals on four shots and was pulled from the game.

What it means: The Blackhawks and Wild played in some tight games during the regular season, and that carried over into their first game of the playoffs. Two of the teams’ three regular-season games were decided by one goal. Both were also two of the top teams in the league in one-goal games. The Blackhawks were 19-3-5 in one-goal games in the regular season, and the Wild were 13-5-3. The Wild proved they’re not going to allow the Blackhawks to roll through the first round. The Wild kept themselves in the game most of the night by getting in the way of the Blackhawks’ shots. The Wild blocked 21 shots. The Blackhawks played in five overtime games in the first round last season and two in the opening round in 2011. Eight of the Blackhawks’ last nine playoff games dating back to 2011 have gone to overtime.

What’s next: Game 2 of the series will be held in Chicago on Friday. The series will then move to Minnesota for the following two games.

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the United Center on Friday.

How it happened: Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane briefly took the team lead in goals by notching his 23rd of the season at 9:34 of the first period. Less than four minutes later, Jonathan Toews caught up to his Kane with his 23rd goal of the season. Marcus Kruger added a third goal for the Blackhawks in the third period. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford made 25 saves and improved to 19-5-5 on the season. Chris Butler scored a short-handed goal in the second period for the Flames.

Player of the game: Toews scored his fifth game-winning goal of the season. He ranks second on the Blackhawks behind Marian Hossa, who has six game-winners.

What it means: The Blackhawks didn’t have much to play for Friday. They already secured the Presidents’ Trophy earlier in the week. With Friday’s win, they improved to 36-6-5 with an NHL-best 75 points. It could have been the final regular-season game for a number of Blackhawks starters. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is expected to sit a number of regulars on Saturday after recalling nine players from the AHL on Friday. The Flames finished their season with a 19-25-4 record.

What’s next: The Blackhawks close out the regular season on the road against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday. The Blackhawks are 3-0-1 against the Blues this season.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Monday:

How it happened: The Blackhawks were the second-best team on the ice all night. Vancouver played a physical game, denying the Blackhawks time and space. Chicago had difficulty breaking out of its own end and didn't get many clear shots at Canucks goaltender Cory Schneider. Daniel Carcillo scored Chicago's lone goal on a backhand during a scramble late in the third period. The Blackhawks were outshot 32-25 and goaltender Corey Crawford kept them in the game early, making key stops off Derek Roy and Jason Garrison.

Player of the game: The Canucks' Daniel Sedin broke open the game with breakaway goal late in the second period, then took a slash from Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith. Sedin also assisted on Zack Kassian's goal and moves into second place on Vancouver's all-time scoring list behind brother Henrik.

What it means: The Blackhawks suffered just their sixth regulation loss of the season. It was the first time in 12 games the Blackhawks failed to gain at least a point. The Hawks remain in first in the Western Conference with a 34-6-5 record but their lead over Pittsburgh for first place overall has been reduced to three points. Dave Bolland left the game with a lower-body injury.

What's next: The Blackhawks travel to Edmonton where they will play the Oilers Wednesday. The Blackhawks defeated the Oilers 3-2 on Feb. 25 but lost 6-5 on March 10.

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Phoenix Coyotes' 3-2 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on Saturday.

How it happened: The Coyotes outscored the Blackhawks 2-1 in the shootout to pull out the road win. Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith made 36 saves and stopped two shootout shots. Defenseman Brent Seabrook, who turned 28 on Saturday, scored both of the Blackhawks' goals, both of which came on the power play. The Blackhawks have scored four power-play goals in the last two games after not scoring one in their previous nine games. Rostislav Klesla and Radim Vrbata scored the Coyotes' two regulation goals. Klesla's goal came when he flung the puck from near center ice, and it bounced toward the net and past Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks killed all five of the Coyotes' power plays. The Blackhawks outshot the Coyotes 38-31. Crawford made 29 saves.

Player of the game: Smith kept the Coyotes in the game with a number of tremendous saves. He stopped 15 shots in the first period and finished with 36 saves in 38 shots.

What it means: The Blackhawks had their seven-game winning streak snapped, but extended their points streak to 11 games. They are now 34-5-5 with an NHL-best 73 points. The Blackhawks are 19-3-5 in one-goal games and 6-5 in shootouts this season. The Blackhawks had their largest crowd of the season with a paid attendance of 22,272.

What's next: The Blackhawks head to Canada for their next two games. They will play the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 5-4 overtime win over the Nashville Predators at the United Center on Friday.

How it happened: Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa scored the game-winner on a 4-on-3 power play in overtime. It was the Blackhawks’ second power-play goal of the game after having not scored on the power play in their previous nine games. The Predators’ Bobby Butler tied the game at 4-4 with a goal with 3:34 remaining in the third period. Michal Handzus, Duncan Keith, Brandon Saad and Patrick Kane also scored for the Blackhawks. Matt Halischuk had two goals for the Predators.

Player of the game: Hossa scored his team-leading sixth game-winning goal of the season.

What it means: The Blackhawks extended their winning streak to seven games and their points streak to 10 games. They improved to 34-5-4 with 72 points on the season. They defeated the Predators in all five meetings this season.

What’s next: The Blackhawks remain in Chicago to face the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday. The Blackhawks defeated the Coyotes 6-4 and 6-2 in their two previous meetings this season.

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars at the United Center on Monday:

How it happened: The Blackhawks allowed an early goal in the third period to tie the game at 2-2, but they bounced back with three unanswered goals in the period to pull out the win. Andrew Shaw gave the Blackhawks a 3-2 advantage at 4:31, and Niklas Hjalmarsson provided another goal at 7:46. Marian Hossa, who had three points in the game, scored an empty-netter in the final minute. Jamie Benn scored both goals for the Stars. Jonathan Toews and Viktor Stalberg accounted for the Blackhawks' first two goals. Toews now leads the Blackhawks with 21 goals. Blackhawks goaltender Ray Emery made 15 saves and improved to 16-1-0 on the season. The Blackhawks failed on four power-play chances and haven't scored a power-play goal since March 29.

Player of the game: Shaw scored his second game-winner of the year. He also had an assist in Monday's win and now has 15 points on the season.

What it means: The Blackhawks extended their winning streak to six games while snapping the Stars' five-game winning streak. The Blackhawks are also on an eight-game points streak. They improved to 33-5-4 with an NHL-best 70 points. The Stars fell to 21-18-3 with 45 points and still trail the Detroit Red Wings by two points for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks defeated the Stars in all three games this season.

What's next: The Blackhawks continue their three-game home stand with the Nashville Predators on Friday and the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday.

CHICAGO -- Here's a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-2 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center on Friday:

How it happened: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews came through with a game-tying goal with 2:57 left in the third period to force extra time. The Red Wings led throughout the third period after going ahead 2-1 in the second period. In the shootout, the Blackhawks outscored the Red Wings 2-1 in five rounds. Marian Hossa and Brandon Saad scored in the shootout for Chicago. The Blackhawks first went up 1-0 with a goal by Viktor Stalberg in the second period, and the Red Wings answered with two consecutive goals. Johan Franzen tied the game at 15:40 of the second period and Cory Emmerton put the Red Wings ahead with another goal at 17:39. Franzen's goal came on the power play and snapped the Blackhawks' streak of 21 consecutive power plays without allowing goal. The Blackhawks hadn't given up a power-play goal since March 16. The Blackhawks were also shut out on two power-play chances. They haven't scored on the power play since March 29. Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford made 27 saves, and Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard had 26 saves.

Player of the game: Toews came through in the clutch again. It was his 20th goal of the season.

What it means: The Blackhawks clinched the Central Division with Friday's victory and with the St. Louis Blues losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets. It's the Blackhawks' first division title since the 2009-2010 season. The Blackhawks also swept the season series against the Red Wings. They hadn't accomplished that since the 1976-77 season. The Blackhawks improved to 31-5-4 with 66 points. The Red Wings remained the Western Conference's No. 8 seed as they picked up another point and now have 45 points.

What's next: The Blackhawks travel to face the St. Louis Blues at 11:30 a.m. CT Sunday. The Blackhawks are 2-0-1 against the Blues this season.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Here's a quick look at the Blackhawks' 1-0 victory over the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday night.

How it happened: The Blackhawks only won by a goal, but the final margin could have been bigger. Chicago controlled play for long stretches of the game, possessing the puck at Minnesota's end of the ice, and outshot the Wild 31-20. Jonathan Toews had a would-be goal blown dead in the first period, and Nick Leddy hit the crossbar in the second period. When Marian Hossa scored his first goal since March 16, slicing in front of a Clayton Stoner pass to Mikko Koivu and beating Niklas Backstrom, it would be all Chicago needed.

Player of the game: Hossa made an impressive play on the goal, picking off Stoner's pass in stride and burying his shot. He also was involved in the scrum on Toews' goal that was blown dead, and took two other shots in the game. And Ray Emery improved to 15-1 with his third shutout in his last five games. Emery continues to enhance his case as the No. 1 goalie. He made 20 saves in his third straight start.

What it means: The Blackhawks moved two points closer to securing the top spot in the Western Conference playoffs. They now lead Anaheim by five points, with a game in hand, and seem all but assured of the No. 1 seed.

What's next: Chicago returns home for two days off before playing host to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night.

CHICAGO -- Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators at the United Center on Sunday.

How it happened: The Blackhawks responded from a one-goal deficit in third period to score two consecutive goals within 65 seconds to capture the win. After the Predators’ David Legwand put his team ahead 3-2 at 6:54 of the third period, Brandon Saad scored for the Blackhawks at 9:37 to tie the game, and Jonathan Toews put the Blackhawks ahead at 10:32. Patrick Kane added an empty-netter in the third period. Andrew Shaw and Bryan Bickell also scored for the Blackhawks. Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne made 35 saves, and Blackhawks goaltender Ray Emery made 20 saves and improved to 14-1-0.

Player of the game: Toews provided the game-winner. He also had an assist. He has 19 goals on the season.

What it means: The Blackhawks clinched a playoff spot with the victory. They defeated the Predators for the third time in the last week. The Blackhawks improved to 29-5-4 with an NHL-best 62 points. The Predators haven’t won on the road since March 12.

What’s next: The Blackhawks are back on the road as they travel to face the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.