Pavelski, Sharks nip Kings in OT
NHL: Joe Pavelski scored 14:44 into overtime to give the San Jose Sharks a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of their all-California opening-round playoff series Thursday night in San Jose, Calif.
Pavelski took a pass from Kyle Wellwood as the trailer on a 3-on-2 advantage and fired a forehand past Jonathan Quick for his second career playoff overtime goal.
Dany Heatley and Logan Couture also scored for the Sharks, who had lost five of their previous six series openers. Antti Niemi made 33 saves.
Dustin Brown and Justin Williams scored for the Kings, who have won just one playoff series since going to the Stanley Cup final with Wayne Gretzky in 1993. Quick made 42 saves.
• Miller gets shutout, lifts Sabres past Flyers: Ryan Miller stopped 35 shots for his second career postseason shutout and Patrick Kaleta scored to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 1-0 win over the host Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoff series.
Miller stopped every shot under all types of pressure and carried the Sabres to the clutch opening win. The teams have met eight times in the postseason and the Game 1 winner won the series each time.
Kaleta snapped the scoreless tie early in the third period when he powered a rebound past rookie Sergei Bobrovsky.
No team was more resilient in last year’s playoffs than the Flyers. They trailed Boston 3-0 in the East semifinals before taking the series and playing until a Game 6 loss to Chicago in the Stanley Cup finals.
Game 2 is Saturday in Philadelphia.
• Price blanks Bruins as Canadiens win opener: Carey Price returned as Montreal’s starting playoff goalie with his third postseason shutout, Brian Gionta scored twice and the Canadiens opened the series with a 2-0 win over the host Boston Bruins.
Price started one of the Canadiens 19 playoff games last year when they reached the Eastern Conference finals. Jaroslav Halak started the others but was traded to the St. Louis Blues in June.
This season Price started 70 games and on Thursday he turned aside 31 shots.
Gionta scored at 2:45 of the first period and at 16:42 of the third. The Bruins dominated play in the last 10 minutes of the second and ended that period with a 26-14 advantage in shots.
Timbers get first win in front of home fans
MLS: The Portland Timbers got their first Major League Soccer victory in their rain-drenched home opener against the Chicago Fire.
Jorge Perlaza scored two goals, while Rodney Wallace and Mamadou Dansu each added another for the Timbers in the 4-2 win.
Portland (1-2-1) started the season on the road while $31 million in improvements were completed to make their downtown stadium more soccer friendly.
Midfielder Marco Pappa scored both goals for the Fire (1-2-1).
Mediation resumes in labor dispute
NFL: The NFL and its locked-out players completed their first day of mediation under a court order and will meet again today as they try to resolve their labor dispute.
Commissioner Roger Goodell, Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft were among those on hand for the closed-door session at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis.
NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash says “it was constructive to get together” but declined to be more specific after the meeting.
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith was joined by attorneys, linebackers Ben Leber and Mike Vrabel, as well as Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller. Smith greeted reporters as he approached the building Thursday, but he didn’t respond to questions.
Cink, Henry share lead at Texas Open
Golf: J.J. Henry and former British Open champion Stewart Cink are atop the Texas Open leaderboard after shooting 5-under 67s in San Antonio.
Adam Scott, the defending champion, was a stroke back in his first round since his runner-up finish at the Masters. Scott shot a 68 and was tied with Charley Hoffman, Jhonattan Vegas, Vaughn Taylor and Kevin Chappell.
Alex Prugh (Ferris High, UW) finished the day at 6-over 78 and is tied for 131st after the first round.