Updated

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - The Vancouver Canucks learned a valuable lesson in a scary first-round survival against the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

When you have a team way down, make sure you put them out as quickly as you can. Because if you let a club hang around, things can turn around in a hurry.

The Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks lead the Nashville Predators 3-1 in the Western Conference semifinal series and can advance to the NHL's final four with a home win on Saturday. If they don't end it then, the series will shift back to Nashville for Game 6 and become a whole lot more interesting.