Brad Marchand scored a pair of third-period goals and had three assists as the host Boston Bruins earned a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes to even their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at two games each on Sunday.

Boston began the third period on a 36-second 5-on-3 and capitalized as Sebastian Aho’s double-minor for high-sticking continued. At the 44-second mark, Marchand buried the go-ahead goal from the left circle following Charlie Coyle’s feed.

Patrice Bergeron finished with a goal and two assists. Jake DeBrusk and David Pastrnak each logged a goal and an assist, and Coyle added two helpers.

Game 5 of the best-of-seven series will be Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C. The Bruins played Sunday without top defensemen Charlie McAvoy (COVID-19 protocol) and Hampus Lindholm (upper-body injury). Coach Bruce Cassidy called Lindholm a “possibility” to play Tuesday.

Blues 5, Wild 2

Jordan Binnington made 28 saves and snapped his nine-game postseason losing streak as St. Louis defeated visiting Minnesota to even their first-round playoff series at two games each.

Binnington, who replaced Ville Husso as the starting goaltender, earned his first playoff victory since Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.

Jordan Kyrou and David Perron each scored two goals and Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and two assists for the injury-depleted Blues, who were without defensemen Torey Krug, Nick Leddy and Robert Bortuzzo. St. Louis dressed rookie Scott Perunovich and AHL emergency call-up Steven Santini.

Lightning 7, Maple Leafs 3

Steven Stamkos, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Pat Maroon scored in the first eight minutes for Tampa Bay, which cruised to a win against visiting Toronto in Game 4 of their Stanley Cup first-round playoff series.

Ross Colton netted two goals, Corey Perry and Ondrej Palat also scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves for the two-time defending champion Lightning, who evened the best-of-seven series 2-2. Game 5 is on Tuesday in Toronto.

William Nylander scored two goals, Jake Muzzin also tallied and Jack Campbell made 11 saves on 16 shots before he was replaced by the Maple Leafs, who are trying to win their first playoff series since 2004.

Kings 4, Oilers 0

Jonathan Quick collected his 10th career playoff shutout and host Los Angeles rode a pair of first-period goals by Trevor Moore and Troy Stecher to a win over Edmonton in Game 4 of their Western Conference opening-round series.

Carl Grundstrom added a pair of late goals and an assist for the Kings, who evened the best-of-seven series at 2-2. Game 5 will be Tuesday in Edmonton. Quick, who was pulled in the Kings’ Game 3 blowout loss, made 31 saves Sunday.

Goalie Mike Smith stopped 42 shots for the Oilers, who scored a combined 14 goals in a pair of victories in the second and third games of the series.

–Field Level Media

Jonathan Quick collected his 10th career playoff shutout and the host Los Angeles Kings rode a pair of first-period goals by Trevor Moore and Troy Stecher to a 4-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday in Game 4 of their Western Conference opening-round series.

Carl Grundstrom added a pair of late goals and an assist for the Kings, who evened the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

Game 5 will be Tuesday in Edmonton.

Quick, who was pulled before the midway point of the Kings’ Game 3 blowout loss, made 31 saves Sunday. Arguably his biggest came during a series late in the second period while he was without his trapper.

Goalie Mike Smith stopped 42 shots for the Oilers, who scored a combined 14 goals in a pair of victories in the second and third games of the series.

Coming off those one-sided defeats, the Kings stormed out of the gates, racking up 20 shots on goal in the first period alone.

Their reward came when Moore’s second goal of the playoffs opened the scoring at the 8:03 mark. The puck popped out of a scrum along the side boards right to Phillip Danault, who zipped to the front of the net, but opted to leave a drop pass at the doorstep for Moore to tap in.

Stecher doubled the lead six minutes later. During four-on-four action, the puck was worked to Stecher at the right point, and he sent a slap shot that ricocheted off the stick of Oilers defenseman Duncan Keith and into the net.

Grundstrom extended the lead with five minutes remaining in regulation. As he was brought down from behind while crashing the net, he shoved the puck over the line, along with Smith’s leg.

Grundstrom added an empty-net goal with 91 seconds on the clock.

Edmonton was without forward Derek Ryan, who was in an intentional collision with Andreas Athanasiou in Game 3. Derick Brassard took his place in the lineup.

–Field Level Media

Steven Stamkos, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Pat Maroon scored in the first eight minutes for the Tampa Bay Lightning and they cruised to a 7-3 win against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of their Stanley Cup first-round playoff series on Sunday night.

Ross Colton netted two goals, Corey Perry and Ondrej Palat also scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves for the two-time defending champion Lightning, who evened the best-of-seven series 2-2.

Game 5 is on Tuesday in Toronto.

William Nylander scored two goals, Jake Muzzin also tallied and Jack Campbell made 11 saves on 16 shots before he was replaced by the Maple Leafs, who are trying to win their first playoff series since 2004.

The Lightning improved to 17-0 in games following a playoff loss over the past three postseasons.

Stamkos, a 42-goal scorer during the regular season, scored his first of the series on a one-timer from the high slot exactly one minute into the game to give the Lightning the early lead.

Bellemare scored unassisted when the puck caromed in front of the net and he shot it past Campbell for a 2-0 lead at 5:20.

Maroon put in his own rebound after Campbell made a right pad save on his drive to the net to make it 3-0 at 7:58.

The Lightning won another puck in the neutral zone and Colton scored on a wrist shot from the slot for a 4-0 cushion at 3:17 of the second period.

The Maple Leafs committed three minor penalties in the first six minutes of the second period, and Perry scored on the second power play for a 5-0 lead at 5:25.

Erik Kallgren replaced Campbell following Perry’s goal and stopped all 10 shots he faced.

Nylander ended Vasilevskiy’s shutout bid when he scored a power-play goal at 2:27 of the third period to make it 5-1. Nylander scored again off the rush to make it 5-2 with 7:59 left.

Palat scored into an empty net with 5:20 remaining for a 6-2 lead.

Muzzin made it 6-3 with 4:19 to go, but Colton added another empty-netter with 2:16 left.

–Field Level Media

If the Calgary Flames need a history lesson to remind them their situation isn’t hopeless, they must only look at what happened the last time they met the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

As the Flames prepare for Monday night’s Game 4 in Dallas, they trail the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series 2-1. It’s the same position the Stars were in two years ago, but Dallas went on to beat Calgary three straight times and advance.

“I have more than enough belief in this group to know that we can come out of this,” Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk said.

It would help if Calgary’s offensive attack arrived.

The Flames, a top-level scoring team in the regular season, have just three goals in three games. The top line of Elias Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau and Tkachuk — all 40-goal scorers in the regular season — have two of those goals, both by Lindholm.

Understandably, they’re under the gun, but that leaves plenty of others who need to provide more for a squad that believes its depth should be the difference.

“Our group still feels really good, really confident in our ability,” said forward Blake Coleman, who is among those failing to provide offense. “We win one game we have home ice back, and that’s the goal coming in here. There’s no panic in our room. We have a lot of guys who have been here in these situations.”

That said, the Flames have had plenty of chances and controlled most of the play all series. At some point, those opportunities should go in, but the questions is whether it will happen in time.

“It’s more about just everyone digging a little deeper, you know? Those second and third efforts, more of that, get those greasy goals,” forward Trevor Lewis said.

The Stars should feel secure when considering their franchise history. Since the team moved to Texas in 1993, the Stars are 12-0 when taking a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven series.

It is a team game, but unquestionably the two biggest reasons why Dallas leads the series have been the goaltending of Jake Oettinger and clutch production by Joe Pavelski.

Pavelski has three of his team’s six goals this series, including the game-tying and game-winning goals in Saturday’s 4-2 victory, which gives him 10 goals in 16 career playoff games against Calgary. He’s netted both game-winning goals for his team.

“Elite athletes, man, they find a way to rise to the occasion,” Dallas coach Rick Bowness said. “Joe came up big, but again, it’s always around the net. There’s a timing to get there. There’s a timing anticipating the shot. You can’t get there late, you can’t get there early — there’s a timing with that. Obviously he has it down pat.”

Meanwhile, Oettinger has posted a 1.01 goals-against average and .969 save percentage while stopping 93 of 96 shots, all in his first opportunity as a starter in the playoffs. His play is a huge reason the Flames have just one power-play goal in a dozen chances.

“He’s been making the saves he’s had to,” Pavelski said. “Then he’s made those timely ones for us. The guys are playing hard in front of him. There’s been a lot of sacrifice with some big shot blocks along the way. He’s stood tall and he’s earned this opportunity. It’s starting to show, which is great to see. It’s helped us win these couple of games.”

–Field Level Media