Sharks tip Predators

Patrick Rissmiller scored at 8:14 of the second overtime as the San Jose Sharks beat the host Nashville Predators, 5-4, last night after blowing a two-goal lead in the opening game of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Rissmiller, who scored only seven goals in the regular season, beat Tomas Vokoun with a shot from the edge of the left circle after taking a crisp pass from Patrick Marleau.

San Jose squandered a 4-2 lead after two periods, an advantage built with three goals in the second after the Sharks lost top goal scorer Jonathan Cheechoo to an injured right knee.

But the Predators, who stood atop the NHL until March 29 before slipping to the West's No. 4 seed, scored twice in the final 6:55 of regulation to force the first overtime in the franchise's short postseason history.

Alexander Radulov scored his second goal with 7:05 left, and J.P. Dumont scored his second of the game with 50.4 seconds remaining in regulation, tipping a slap shot from Shea Weber past Evgeni Nabokov's glove.

Weber had two assists for a team that went 4-15-1 in the regular season when trailing after two.

Craig Rivet scored on a five-on-three power play and added an assist.

Joe Thornton, the NHL's No. 2 scorer with 114 points, and Marleau each had two assists for San Jose.

Matthew Carle, Mike Grier, and Milan Michalek scored a goal each.

San Jose has won five straight playoff games against Nashville, having taken the final four in the first round last season.

Senators 6, Penguins 3 -- Andrej Meszaros and Chris Kelly scored 5:01 apart early in the first period as host Ottawa ruined Sidney Crosby's playoff debut with Pittsburgh.

Tom Preissing made it 3-0 with a power-play goal 14:38 into the second after Ottawa scored twice on Marc-Andre Fleury in the opening period when the Senators had a 16-4 shots advantage.

The 19-year-old Crosby, who led the NHL with 120 points, scored the game's final goal at 19:11 for his first playoff point. He also had a goal waved off 37 seconds into the third after Dany Heatley put Ottawa up, 4-1, with a power-play goal 28 seconds earlier.

Chris Neil and Mike Comrie added third-period goals, and Ray Emery stopped 23 shots for Ottawa, which went 31-7-8 from Dec. 23 to the end of the season.

Jordan Staal and Sergei Gonchar scored for Pittsburgh, which played its first playoff game since 2001.

Ducks 2, Wild 1 -- Dustin Penner scored with 5:20 remaining to lift host Anaheim over Minnesota.

Penner poked the puck in after Minnesota defenseman Kim Johnsson crashed into Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom, sending him sprawling backward into the net.

The puck was sitting in the crease, and Corey Perry swept it toward the goal. Penner took swipes at it and forced it in.

Teemu Selanne tied it for Anaheim with a second-period goal, just 3:51 after Pavol Demitra scored for Minnesota.

Ilya Bryzgalov started in place of Jean-Sebastien Giguere and made 24 saves for Anaheim. Backstrom stopped 32 Ducks shots.

Giguere has been taking time off to be with his wife and newborn son. Maxime was born April 4 with a condition that could leave him blind in his right eye.