Predators take commanding lead over Wings

Pekka Rinne made the Detroit Red Wings’ dominant performance meaningless.

Rinne made 40 saves, and Kevin Klein scored a go-ahead goal 6:25 into the third period, lifting the visiting Nashville Predators to a 3-1 win over Detroit on Tuesday night and a 3-1 lead in the first-round Western Conference playoff series.

“Usually, the game gets easier when you face more pucks,” Rinne said.

Nashville can eliminate Detroit in Game 5 on Friday night at home.

“Now we’re in a tough situation,” Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom said. “We’ve got to go down to Nashville and win one game.”

Predators rookie Gabriel Bourque broke a scoreless tie 1:55 into the third period. Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall tied it 1:19 later with a power-play goal that was waved off on the ice but reversed by video review.

The Red Wings pulled goalie Jimmy Howard to add an extra skater with 1:31 left, but had to put him back in the net because Henrik Zetterberg was called for high-sticking with 55.8 seconds left. David Legwand’s power-play goal sealed the win with 39 seconds left.

Rinne stopped the first 29 shots he faced, including a kick save on Lidstrom’s slap shot at the end of the second period.

“We weren’t very happy with the first and second,” Rinne said. “They had too many shots, too many scoring chances. We buckled down in the third period.”

Howard made 14 saves.

“It’s definitely disappointing, but they still have to win one more game,” Howard said. “I’m not that type of person just to roll over.”

Panthers 4, Devils 3: At Newark, N.J., Brian Campbell scored on a second-period power play and Florida staged its greatest playoff comeback in franchise history, rallying from an early three-goal deficit to defeat New Jersey.

Sean Bergenheim, Jason Garrison and Mike Weaver also scored and Scott Clemmensen made 19 saves after replacing Jose Theodore early in giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference first-round series.

New Jersey hosts Game 4 on Thursday.

Coyotes 3, Blackhawks 2, OT: Mikkel Boedker scored 13:15 into overtime, and Phoenix won at Chicago to take a 2-1 lead in their opening-round Western Conference playoff series.

Game 4 is Thursday night at Chicago.

Boedker scored from the left side of the net, beating goalie Corey Crawford as the teams played their third straight overtime game.

Andrew Brunette and Michael Frolic had goals for the Blackhawks, and Rostislav Klesla and former Spokane Chief Ray Whitney scored for the Coyotes in regulation.