NHL Playoffs: Sharks rout Canucks, 5-2, to take 3-0 lead in series Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture each scored twice to spoil Cory Schneider's return to the nets for Vancouver and the San Jose Sharks won their third straight game to open the playoffs, beating the Canucks, 5-2, on Sunday night in San Jose. Pavelski scored the first two goals and Couture and Patrick Marleau added scores nine seconds apart to break the game open early in the third period and give the Sharks a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference series. Couture added a second power-play goal early in the third to end Schneider's night and give him a playoff-best four points for the game. Antti Niemi made 28 saves. San Jose will attempt to complete the first series sweep in franchise history at home on Tuesday night. Pittsburgh 5, at N.Y. Islanders 4 (OT): Chris Kunitz scored his second power-play goal of the game 8:34 into overtime, off a pass from Sidney Crosby, and the Penguins shook off an early deficit and a late blown lead to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference series. Pittsburgh trailed, 2-0, just 5:41 in but rallied to lead, 3-2, before the first period was over. The comeback started with power-play goals 19 seconds apart by Jarome Iginla and Kunitz. The Penguins seemed in control in the third period, but New York erased a 4-2 deficit on goals by Kyle Okposo and John Tavares. Crosby, who had three assists in his second game back after missing a month because of a broken jaw, drew the decisive penalty against Brian Strait, who held the Penguins captain as he drove the net 33 seconds before the winning goal. Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma used his timeout to rest his power-play unit, and it paid off. Crosby fed Kunitz in the slot for a hard shot that beat goalie Evgeni Nabokov to win it. at Minnesota 3, Chicago 2 (OT): Jason Zucker scored at 2:15 of overtime and the Wild pulled to within 2-1 in the Western Conference series. Zach Parise scored for Minnesota early in the third period, but Duncan Keith tied the score for the Blackhawks with 2:46 left in regulation to force the second overtime in three games. Zucker's bad-angle shot slipped past goalie Corey Crawford, and the rookie raced toward the corner and jumped into the glass to celebrate. Pierre-Marc Bouchard also had a goal for the Wild after Johnny Oduya scored for the Blackhawks late in the first period. at Ottawa 6, Montreal 1: Jean-Gabriel Pageau got his first three-goal game in the NHL and the Senators won a fight-filled game to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference series. The teams combined for 236 penalty minutes and nine players were given a game misconduct. The third period started with the Senators leading 2-1, but after Pageau's second goal of the night and a Kyle Turris goal at 7:00, emotions overflowed. Four fights broke out on the ensuing faceoff. Pageau got his third goal with just under two minutes left, becoming the second Ottawa player with a playoff hat trick. Daniel Alfredsson did it in 1998.