The Associated Press

DALLAS — The Dallas Stars keep responding in these NHL playoffs, like they have all season.

Now they go into Game 4 at home with a chance for a 3-1 series lead against the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs.

“It’s the best response team that I’ve coached in my time here, coming off, not necessarily a poor effort, but a loss or maybe we’re not as good as we could be, (and) rectifying that quickly,” third-year Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “There’s an honesty to the group and the leadership in the group. They’re willing to accept hard coaching. You don’t have to sugarcoat it with them, which is nice.”

Dallas has had to change the way it plays defensively since Miro Heiskanen injured his left knee Jan. 28, and the standout defenseman still hasn’t played since. The Stars also were without top goal scorer Jason Robertson in the first round against Colorado, when they lost another Game 1 before back-to-back overtime playoff wins despite leading only a total of 62 seconds in regulation.

They have two 4-0 losses this postseason, and rebounded from both with big wins, the latest 5-2 in Game 3 against Winnipeg on Sunday after being shut out by Connor Hellebuyck two nights earlier.

In the only NHL game tonight, Winnipeg now must respond to even the series and regain home-ice advantage.

“For sure. It’s important. We need to get one on the road here,” Jets forward Kyle Connor said. “That next one is the best chance we’ve got.”

DeBoer said Monday that he still believes Heiskanen will play at some point in the series against the Jets. The defenseman had a scheduled day off during what was an optional practice.

The Stars got goals from defensemen Alexander Petrovic and Thomas Harley in Game 3 against the Jets. Petrovic, who has played twice as many postseason games as he did regular-season games, was credited with the go-ahead tally in the third period. A puck shot by Mikko Rantanen deflected off Hellebuyck and then the defenseman’s skate back toward the net and went in for a 3-2 lead.

Right after that disputed goal, Rantanen almost immediately scored yet another goal for the Stars.

“We had, whatever it was, a two-, three-minute situation where they scored a couple of goals, but at the end of the day, hopefully some of the stuff we did, the offense we created, the chances that we had, help us feel good about what we can do in Game 4,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “And that’s what we’re going to have to do. … We have to find ways to score more goals than them. We had looks.”

Caps behind 3-1 in series

RALEIGH, N.C. — Sean Walker scored late and Andrei Svechnikov added an empty-net clincher to help the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Monday night for a 3-1 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Walker’s score came at the 16:45 mark of the third period after the Capitals had pulled to within 3-2 on Alex Ovechkin’s one-timer on a 5-on-3 power play. Taylor Hall had a goal and an assist, while Shayne Gostisbehere and Seth Jarvis also scored. Jakob Chychrun also scored for Washington. The series shifts back to Washington for Game 5 on Thursday with the Capitals facing elimination.