Byfuglien’s 2 goals lift Blackhawks to 5-2 win, 2-1 series lead over Canucks

Byfuglien scores 2; Blackhawks take 2-1 lead

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 to a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks and a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night.

Kris Versteeg and Marian Hossa also scored, and Antti Niemi made 16 of his 31 saves in the first period. 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.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Big Chicago forward Dustin Byfuglien banged in a pair of power-play rebounds and added an assist to lift the Blackhawks to a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks and a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night.

Kris Versteeg, Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane also scored, and Antti Niemi made 16 of his 31 saves in the first period. 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.