NHL PLAYOFFS: Bruins take command of series; Blackhawks take lead

PHILADELPHIA - Blake Wheeler, Miroslav Satan and Mark Recchi scored for Boston in a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers that lifted the Bruins to a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night.

Patrice Bergeron scored an empty-net goal for the Bruins with 1:52 left.

Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask allowed a quick goal at the start, but finished with 34 saves. The Bruins can complete the sweep in Game 4 in Philadelphia on Friday night.

Wheeler and Satan scored 94 seconds apart in the first period to wipe out the Flyers' lead, and the Bruins never looked back. They won the first two games of the series at home - and the Bruins might not play in Boston again until the Eastern Conference finals.

Arron Asham scored for the Flyers.

Blackhawks 5, Canucks 2

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Big Chicago forward Dustin Byfuglien banged in a pair of power-play rebounds and completed his hat trick in the third period to lift the Blackhawks over Vancouver in Game 3. The Blackhawks took a 2-1 lead over the Canucks in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Kris Versteeg and Marian Hossa also scored, and Antti Niemi made 16 of his 31 saves in the first period for Chicago. The Blackhawks picked up where they left off in Game 2 when they scored three goals in a third-period comeback win.

Jannik Hansen and Alex Burrows scored and Roberto Luongo made 30 saves for the Canucks, who will try to even the series when they host Game 4 on Friday night.