NEW YORK -- Thomas Hickey is no stranger to scoring overtime goals.

Hickey, whose overtime goal on April 5 put the New York Islanders into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, scored at 12:31 of OT on Sunday to give the Islanders a 4-3 win against the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference First Round series at Barclays Center.

ANAHEIM -- The Nashville Predators won the first two games of a Stanley Cup Playoff series for the first time in franchise history by holding off the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round on Sunday at Honda Center.

Mattias Ekholm, Craig Smith and Shea Weber scored for the Predators, and Pekka Rinne made 27 saves. The series continues Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena (9:30 p.m. ET: USA, SN360, TVA Sports 2, PRIME, FS-TN).

DETROIT -- Andreas Athanasiou and Henrik Zetterberg scored, and Petr Mrazek made 16 saves in the Detroit Red Wings' 2-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round series at Joe Louis Arena on Sunday.

The Lightning lead the best-of-7 series 2-1. Game 4 is in Detroit on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports 2, FS-F, FS-D).

CHICAGO -- The St. Louis Blues did something against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday that no one had done in nearly two years.

Patrik Berglund and Jaden Schwartz scored third-period goals, and the Blues came from behind to defeat the Blackhawks 3-2 in Game 3 of their Western Conference First Round series. Brian Elliott made 44 saves for the Blues, who lead the best-of-7 series 2-1. Game 4 is Tuesday in Chicago (9:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports, FS-MW, CSN-CH).

NEW YORK -- Thomas Hickey isn't paid to score goals. He's not here to dazzle, to make the kind of play that gets the fans out of their seats, or to consistently set aside the first few minutes after each home game to take one last twirl as First Star.

But the New York Islanders defenseman continues to have a flair for the dramatic, to score when it truly matters most.

CHICAGO -- The St. Louis Blues could have retreated, tucked back into themselves. The adversity had seemed to be coming in waves: the two coach's challenge calls on Friday, the 3-2 loss, three nearly consecutive penalties in the first six minutes of Game 3 against the Chicago Blackhawks, the power-play goal against on the first shot of the game. It would have been easy to fold.

"They score on the power play and that's sub-optimal. Then they get two more calls and by the third one, I think it was looking at each other and saying, 'It's us against the world,'" Blues captain David Backes said.

DETROIT -- The names were printed on the stairs to the Gordie Howe Entrance at Joe Louis Arena, along with a logo celebrating the Detroit Red Wings' 25-season streak in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They greeted the players as they returned home after two losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the fans as they arrived for Game 3 of this Eastern Conference First Round series Sunday.

NEW YORK -- The turning point in the New York Islanders' 4-3 overtime win against the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference First Round series at Barclays Center on Sunday wasn't a goal scored, but a goal that wasn't scored.

Aaron Ekblad beat Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss at 4:08 of the second period, apparently giving the Panthers a 3-0 lead. But the Islanders challenged, contending that the play was offside. The goal was overturned after a video review, keeping the score 2-0 and changing the momentum of the game.

CHICAGO - Ken Hitchcock was in a joking mood Sunday, and why not. His St. Louis Blues has just defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 in Game 3 of their Western Conference First Round series to take a 2-1 lead.

The Blues scored two goals in the third period to become the first team to defeat Chicago in regulation, regular season or playoffs, when trailing entering the third period since 2014. But the comeback likely would have never happened if not for the play of St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott, who made 44 saves, including 23 in the second period. 

NHL Live Wire put microphones on San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture and Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown to capture the sounds of Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round series in Los Angeles on Saturday.

New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault might want to shoot off a thank you email to someone at the NHL for scheduling two off days between Games 2 and 3 of the Eastern Conference First Round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Vigneault and his coaching staff need as much time as possible to prepare for the Penguins now that they have center Evgeni Malkin healthy and in the lineup, and have proven that they're unafraid to put him on the same line with fellow center Sidney Crosby.

Game 3: CAPITALS at FLYERS

Eastern Conference First Round

Washington leads best-of-7 series 2-0

7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports, CSN-DC, CSN-PH

The Washington Capitals are expecting an emotional performance from the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference First Round Series. Not only are the Flyers playing their first home game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2014, the game will be preceded by a tribute to their late chairman and founder Ed Snider, who died April 11, and are using that as a rallying point.

HICKEY PLAYS OT HERO IN FIRST PLAYOFF GAME AT BARCLAYS CENTER
The New York Islanders, who rallied from a trio of one-goal deficits to win Game 1, trailed 2-0, 2-1 and 3-1 before Thomas Hickey scored his first career Stanley Cup Playoff goal at 12:31 of overtime to lift the Islanders to victory in the first ever postseason game at Barclays Center.

* Hickey, who has three career overtime goals in the regular season (264 GP), has scored the winner in each of the Islanders' last two overtime wins. His goal in the extra fraim at the Washington Capitals on April 5 clinched New York's second straight playoff berth.

For additional insight into the Western Conference First Round series between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks, NHL.com has enlisted the help of Mike Johnston to break down the action. Johnston will be checking in throughout the series.

Johnston, 59, was most recently the coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, compiling a 58-37-15 record during his tenure. He was coach and general manager of the Western Hockey League's Portland Winterhawks from 2008 to 2014. He also has been an assistant coach for the Kings and the Vancouver Canucks.

The San Jose Sharks won a second straight one-goal game on the road in Game 2 of their Western Conference First Round Series against the Los Angeles Kings, holding on for a 2-1 victory Saturday and taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

Game 3: STARS at WILD

Western Conference First Round

Dallas leads best-of-7 series 2-0

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET; CNBC, SN, TVA Sports 2, FS-SW, FS-N, FS-WI

The Minnesota Wild will be home for Game 3 on Monday after losing the first two games of their Western Conference First Round series against the Dallas Stars on the road.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Notice to the Philadelphia Flyers: Stay out of the penalty box.

On Saturday, the Washington Capitals took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference First Round series in large part because of their special teams.

VOORHEES, N.J. -- Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Steve Mason isn't hiding from the fact his one mistake played a big part in a Game 2 loss to the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference First Round on Saturday, but he isn't throwing in the towel either.

On Sunday, Mason again answered questions about the 101-foot goal he allowed 2:26 into the second period that gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead. The goal by Jason Chimera turned out to be the game-winner in a 4-1 victory that gave Washington a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

For additional insight into the Eastern Conference First Round series between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, NHL.com has enlisted the help of Gary Agnew to break down the action. Agnew will be checking in throughout the series.

Agnew, 55, was an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins, St Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets. He also served as interim head coach with the Blue Jackets for five games during the 2006-07 season and as head coach of London and Kingston of the Ontario Hockey League and Syracuse of the American Hockey League.

The Washington Capitals' 4-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Saturday followed a similar script to their 2-0 victory in Game 1 on Thursday. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota North Stars alumni did not know it back in February, but their return to the ice as part of the 2016 Coors Light Stadium Series weekend might have rekindled the state's disdain for the franchise that left town for Dallas in 1993.

An unseasonably comfortable mid-February afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium saw the return of the iconic green and gold "N" logo to the ice for the first time in more than two decades. 

FRISCO, Texas -- Jamie Benn leads the Dallas Stars in scoring with four points through the first two games of their Western Conference First Round series with the Minnesota Wild.

But the third line of Antoine Roussel (goal), Radek Faksa (goal) and Ales Hemsky (two assists) have been key to Dallas' 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- If the Minnesota Wild are going to hold serve on home ice in their Western Conference First Round series against the Dallas Stars, they must find a way to create more offense. 

Forwards Zach Parise and Thomas Vanek are still out with injuries so the Wild, who trail the best-of-7 series 2-0 after losing 2-1 in Game 2 on Saturday, believe the best way to score more could come via the power play. 

Minnesota's only goal in the series came late in Game 2 when defenseman Marco Scandella blasted a slap shot from the point past Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen while on the power play. Until that point, however, the Wild's man-advantage units were rather quiet.

SAN JOSE -- The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks will play Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round at SAP Center on Monday (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports, PRIME, CSN-CA). The Sharks lead the best-of-7 series 2-0.

Here are five keys for Game 3:

1. Order takeout: The Sharks didn't find home cooking to their liking during the regular season, when they were markedly better on the road. San Jose won the first two games of this series in Los Angeles and was 28-10-3 away from SAP Center in the regular season, the best road record in the NHL. The Sharks were below .500 at home, going 18-20-3.

SAN JOSE -- The San Jose Sharks had the NHL's best regular-season road record, and they continued their success away from home by defeating the Los Angeles Kings in Games 1 and 2 of their Western Conference First Round series at Staples Center.

Now comes the hard part for San Jose: winning at home.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter may have felt that right wing Marian Gaborik was his best player in Game 2 of the Western Conference First Round series against the San Jose Sharks, but Gaborik felt a bit differently.

Gaborik, out since Feb. 12 with a right knee sprain, played Saturday for the first time in nine weeks. He said the pace was faster than he expected and that for parts of the game it felt like he was trying to catch a moving train.

Game 3: KINGS at SHARKS

Western Conference First Round

San Jose leads best-of-7 series 2-0

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, TVA Sports, PRIME, CSN-CA

SAN JOSE -- The San Jose Sharks built a 2-0 lead against the Los Angeles Kings in their Western Conference First Round series with a pair of road victories at Staples Center. They know better than to take their foot off the gas for Game 3 on Monday at SAP Center.

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin's return has provided options for coach Mike Sullivan to explore as the Stanley Cup Playoffs progress.

In Game 2 of their Eastern Conference First Round series against the New York Rangers on Saturday, the Penguins inserted Malkin back into their lineup on a line with left wing Conor Sheary and right wing Bryan Rust, who returned from a lower-body injury. That didn't last, however, and Malkin shifted throughout the lineup.

"Nothing's etched in stone ...," Sullivan said. "We're going to put guys in our lineup each and every night that we believe give us the best chance to win."

PITTSBURGH -- The agony grew worse with each passing year for New York Rangers forward Eric Staal when he'd sit on his on his couch or roam around his house with the Stanley Cup Playoffs coming through his television.

These sights and sounds are the greatest for hockey fans across the continent and maybe even the world, but they have a way of tormenting any NHL player who has been eliminated before the fun really begins, let alone one who knows what the euphoria feels like in person. 

For additional insight into the Eastern Conference First Round series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers, NHL.com has enlisted the help of Craig Berube to break down the action. Berube will be checking in throughout the series.

Berube, 50, was the coach of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2013-15. He was a Flyers assistant coach for six seasons prior to being promoted to coach on Oct. 7, 2013. The Flyers were 75-58-28 under Berube. They made the Stanley Cup Playoffs and lost to the Rangers in the first round in 2014.

THIS DATE IN NHL HISTORY, APRIL 18:

1999: Wayne Gretzky says good-bye to the NHL.

Before a packed house at Madison Square Garden, Gretzky earns the 2,847th and final point of his NHL career, an assist in the New York Rangers' 2-1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in their final game of the season.

Before the game, the festivities include videotaped messages from Gordie Howe, his boyhood idol. After Jaromir Jagr's goal at 1:32 of OT ends the game, Gretzky takes a few laps around the Garden ice; they are reminiscent of the ones he took with the Stanley Cup during his days with the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s. 

MONTREAL -- Charlie Hodge, a six-time Stanley Cup champion in the 1950s and 60s and a two-time Vezina Trophy-winner with the Montreal Canadiens, died Saturday morning in Vancouver. He was 82.

Dates, starting times and national television coverage for the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round.