Kesler helps Canucks post 3-1 series lead

NHL playoffs: Ryan Kesler broke a tie with a power-play goal at 7:28 of the third period, and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Nashville Predators 4-2 on Thursday night in Nashville, Tenn., to take a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.

Christian Ehrhoff scored a power-play goal and had two assists, Kesler also had two assists, and Alexander Edler had a goal. Henrik Sedin notched his first points in the series with two assists and an empty-net goal with 20.6 seconds left.

The Canucks, the Presidents’ Trophy winners for the NHL’s best regular-season record, can close out the series Saturday night in Game 5 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Joel Ward and Cody Franson each had a goal and an assist for Nashville. The Predators lost consecutive games for the first time this postseason.

Kesler scored his second straight winner with a power-play goal off a penalty he drew.

This time, Nashville defenseman Ryan Suter yanked him down with an arm around his neck for a holding call, and Kesler scored 1:07 later with a beautiful goal. Kesler sliced through a couple of Predators and beat Pekka Rinne with a wrister from the slot. In Game 3, Kesler scored in overtime.

Nashville tried to rally, finally getting Rinne to the bench with about 30 seconds left. Vancouver took its timeout with 29.3 seconds left, and Nashville couldn’t hold the puck. Sedin clinched the victory with his first goal this postseason.

The Predators opened with plenty of energy with yet another sellout crowd armed with T-shirts to paint the arena gold and fan noisemakers.

But Vancouver has been outshooting and outskating Nashville in taking both games in Music City.

The Predators wasted several prime opportunities to score, particularly in the second.

Zinoviev nets three in Russia’s win

World Hockey Championships: Sergei Zinoviev scored three goals and Russia beat Denmark 4-3 at Kosice, Slovakia, in the second round of hockey’s world championships.

In another game Thursday, Norway defeated Switzerland 3-2. The United States begins second-round play today against Canada.

Zinoviev opened the scoring in the first period before Nichlas Hardt and Mikkel Bodker put Denmark ahead 2-1. Zinoviev tied it midway through the second and completed his hat trick with 5:42 left in the period.

Artest suspended for Game 3

NBA playoffs: Lakers forward Ron Artest has been suspended from tonight’s Game 3 of Los Angeles’ second-round series against the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas.

Artest was punished by the NBA for a forearm shot to the face of Mavericks guard J.J. Barea with 24 seconds left in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Artest was ejected immediately, and the league said Thursday he also would be assessed a flagrant foul. An accumulation of flagrant foul points could lead to another suspension.

The Lakers trail the Mavericks 0-2 after losing both games in Los Angeles.

Also tonight, Chicago plays at Atlanta. That series is tied 1-1.

Haas stirs echoes at Quail Hollow

Golf: Of all the times Bill Haas has played Quail Hollow, he never had a round quite like this.

Haas had stress-free birdies on all the par 5s and did little wrong on the rest of the holes in the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, N.C., matching the tournament record for lowest opening round with an 8-under 64 for a two-shot lead.

It was his best score by four shots at Quail Hollow on the PGA Tour, and way better than two dozen rounds he played as a kid when he would tag along with his father, Jay Haas, on the special trips they made to the course.

Haas had a two-shot lead over David Toms and Jonathan Byrd, who each had a 66.

Spokane’s Alex Prugh shot 75.

Djokovic’s streak approaching record

Miscellany: Novak Djokovic extended his season-opening winning streak to 29 matches at the Madrid Open, equaling the best start in men’s tennis in 25 years.

The Australian Open champion won his first 21 service points to defeat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-2 and advance to the quarterfinals. He was joined by fellow third-round winner Roger Federer and top-ranked Rafael Nadal, who advanced after Juan Martin del Potro withdrew with a hip injury.

Djokovic, who is 31-0 since last year’s Davis Cup final, is tied for third with Ivan Lendl for the best season start since 1980. John McEnroe won 42 straight to start the 1984 season, and Bjorn Borg won 33 in a row to start the 1980 season.

UCSB, Ohio State in volleyball final: UC Santa Barbara upset top-ranked Southern California again, beating the powerhouse Trojans in four games Thursday night at State College, Pa., to advance to the men’s NCAA volleyball tournament finals.

The upstart Gauchos upended USC last week in their conference final to clinch one of the four spots into the championships.

Ohio State defeated Penn State in four games in the other semifinal.