The Islanders blew three leads before Josh Bailey scored off a rebound 4:39 into overtime to give New York a 4-3 victory over the Penguins. Nick Leddy tallied with 7:25 remaining to put the Isles ahead 3-2, but the Pens extended the game on Justin Schultz's goal about six minutes later. Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who host Game 2 on Friday.
In other Stanley Cup playoff openers, the Tampa Bay Lightning finished with the NHL's best record by a wide margin, but they wasted no time relinquishing home-ice advantage in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Columbus Blue Jackets erased an early 3-0 deficit and beat the Lightning, 4-3 on Seth Jones' power-play goal with 5:55 remaining. Josh Anderson knotted the score with a short-handed goal at 11:54 of the third period, about four minutes after David Savard got the Jackets within 3-2. Nick Foligno had the other goal for Columbus, and Sergei Bobrovsky ended up with 26 saves after struggling in the first period. Alex Killorn, Anthony Cirelli and Yanni Gourde had first-period goals for the Lightning, who host Game 2 on Friday.
Rookie Miro Heiskanen scored twice in his playoff debut before Mats Zuccarello furnished the eventual game-winner in the Stars' 3-2 victory against the Predators in Nashville. Heiskanen became the eighth rookie teenage defenseman in league history to score in their first career playoff game and the first since Adam Larsson with the Devils in 2012.
The Sharks opened with a 5-2 win over the Golden Knights as Brent Burns, Tomas Hertl, Evander Kane and Marc-Edouard Vlasic each had a goal and an assist. Joe Pavelski began the scoring by taking a puck off his chin and directing it into the net. Mark Stone scored both goals for Vegas, last year's Western Conference champs.
Third-period goals by David Perron and Tyler Bozak pushed the Blues past the Jets, 2-1. Bozak beat Connor Hellebuyck with 2:05 to play, allowing St. Louis to steal home-ice advantage before Game 2 Friday in Winnipeg. Jordan Binnington stopped 24 shots and was perfect after Patrik Laine beat him 13:28 into the game.
NBA
The Detroit Pistons have claimed the last seed available in the NBA playoffs. The Pistons are eighth in the East following a 115-89 rout of the Knicks in New York. Andre Drummond contributed 20 points and 18 rebounds for the Pistons, who had dropped four straight and seven of nine before winning their last two to beat out Charlotte for the final playoff berth. Luke Kennard scored 27 points and Reggie Jackson had 21 to help Detroit earn a first-round meeting with Milwaukee.
Dwyane Wade capped his career with one last triple-double, collecting 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the Heat's 113-94 loss to Brooklyn. D'Angelo Russell hit seven 3-pointers and had 21 points for the Nets, who will take on Philadelphia in the first round.
Jonathon Simmons scored 20 points to lead the 76ers to a 125-109 victory over the Bulls. Philadelphia rested all five of its starters ahead of its playoff opener against the Nets.
Checking out Wednesday's other NBA action, Dirk Nowitzki also played his final game and finished with 20 points as the Mavericks fell to the Spurs, 105-94. LaMarcus Aldridge had 34 points for San Antonio.
Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and the Nuggets wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the West by scoring the last 15 points in a 99-95 win over the Timberwolves. Jamal Murray added 17 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 31 seconds to play.
Rookie Anfernee Simons scored a career-high 37 points in his first career start and the Trail Blazers secured the No. 3 seed in the West with a dramatic 136-131 victory over the Kings. Portland used just six players and trailed by 28 points during the second half before winning for the 14th time in 17 games.
Edmond Sumner sank three free throws with three-tenths of a second remaining to give the Pacers a 135-134 triumph over the Hawks. TJ Leaf set career highs with 28 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana, which now prepares for its playoff series with the Celtics.
Oklahoma locked up the sixth seed in the West as Russell Westbrook had 15 points, 17 assists and 11 rebounds in a 127-116 victory against the Bucks. Dennis Schroder was 8-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc and had 32 points for the Thunder.
Jevon Carter scored a career-high 32 points and Justin Holiday added 22 to send the Grizzlies past the Warriors, 132-117. Kevin Durant had 21 points and Klay Thompson finished with 19, but the rest of Golden State's usual starters were held out of the game.
Montrezl Harrell scored 24 points and the Clippers prepared for their first-round series against the Warriors by topping the Jazz, 143-137 in overtime. Ivica Zubac added 22 points and 11 rebounds and Patrick Beverley had 14 points in his return from injury.
Kemba Walker scored 43 points in what may be his final game with the Hornets, a 122-114 loss to the Magic.
In NBA news, Joel Embiid's achy left knee may prevent the All-Star from playing in the 76ers' playoff opener. General manager Elton Brand says that Embiid was expected to play in the postseason, but added it was "possible" the 7-foot center wouldn't be ready for the first game. Embiid sat out Wednesday's regular season finale against Chicago, his fifth absence in seven games to close out the season.
The Celtics say guard Marcus Smart will be sidelined 4 to 6 weeks after being diagnosed with a partial tear to his left oblique abdominal muscle. The injury was revealed in an MRI scan on Wednesday. Smart sustained the injury during the third quarter of Boston's home loss to Orlando on Sunday.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
RJ Barrett is leaving Duke after one season to enter the NBA draft, saying that playing at Duke is a dream and adding that "it's also a dream of mine to play in the NBA and have great success there." The AP All-American averaged an ACC-best 22.6 points along with 7.6 rebounds while forming half of perhaps the nation's most potent one-two punch along with classmate Zion Williamson. Barrett is widely projected as a lottery pick.
Kentucky guard Keldon Johnson will enter the NBA draft and hire an agent but is keeping open the option of returning to school. Kentucky's No. 3 scorer and rebounder was selected by SEC coaches as freshman of the year and a second team All-SEC choice, averaging 13.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. He has until May 29 to decide on coming back for his sophomore season with the Wildcats.
Arizona State freshman guard Luguentz Dort has declared for the NBA draft and will sign with an agent. Dort averaged 16.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the Sun Devils.
MLB
Jose Altuve homered twice and the Astros completed their first ever sweep of the Yankees with an 8-6 win. Carlos Correa belted a two-run homer and had three RBIs to back Collin McHugh, who scattered four hits while striking out nine over six frames.
The Nationals crushed the Phillies, 15-1 as Matt Adams collected four RBIs to support Jeremy Hellickson, who pitched three-hit ball over six innings. Washington reliever Trevor Rosenthal retired a batter for the first time this season after allowing his first 10 to reach safely.
The Twins walked six Mets and hit another during a seven-hitter sequence, allowing New York to score six times in the fifth inning of a 9-6 win against Minnesota. Winning pitcher Noah Syndergaard permitted just two hits in taking a 9-1 lead into the eighth, but he was pulled after giving up a single, double and triple to begin the inning.
In other major league finals, the Tampa Bay Rays have continued their hot start by completing their first-ever sweep in Chicago. Austin Meadows fell a triple shy of the cycle while driving in three runs as the Rays ripped the White Sox, 9-1. Meadows finished the three-game set with seven hits in 10 at-bats, two homers, seven RBI and four runs scored. Tommy Pham homered to extend his on-base streak to a club record 45 games. The Rays are 10-3, their best 13-game start since 2010. The White Sox dropped their fifth in a row and slipped to 3-8, their worst opening since 1997.
The Mariners are 12-2 after Mitch Haniger hit a tiebreaking homer with two outs in the ninth to lift Seattle over the Royals, 6-5. The blast came two innings after Whit Merrifield extended his hitting streak to a Kansas City-record 31 games with a bunt single that tied the score.
Justin Bour drove in two runs and the Angels won their sixth straight by downing the Brewers, 4-2. Milwaukee was swept for the first time since its series before last year's all-star break, when the Brewers dropped a five-game set at Pittsburgh.
Niko Goodrum and John Hicks homered off Trevor Bauer in the Tigers' sixth win in seven games, 4-1 over Cleveland. Matt Boyd allowed one run and four hits in six innings with six strikeouts, giving him 29 Ks in 17 1/3 innings over three starts.
Manny Machado slammed a solo homer in the sixth inning to put the Padres ahead to stay in a 3-1 win over the Giants. Nick Margevicius got his first big league win, allowing one run and five hits with no walks and six strikeouts over six innings.
Khris Davis homered twice and had three hits as the Athletics thumped the Orioles, 10-3. Chad Pinder, Matt Chapman and Jurickson Profar also homered for Oakland, while Baltimore's Chris Davis extended his record hitless streak to 50 at-bats since last September 14.
Yadier Molina and Marcell Ozuna homered to support Jack Flaherty in the Cardinals' fourth consecutive win, 7-2 over the Dodgers. Flaherty gave up three hits and one run in his 99-pitch effort.
Jordan Lyles struck out 10 over six innings and the Pirates homered twice off Yu Darvish in a 5-2 win over the Cubs. Francisco Cervelli and Starling Marte went deep off Darvish, who was reached for four earned runs and five hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Lance Lynn struck out nine and scattered four hits over six innings of the Rangers' 5-2 verdict over the Diamondbacks. Logan Forsythe Jr. drove in two runs and Hunter Pence homered after Texas was no-hit over the first five innings.
The Reds were held to just one hit until Jose Iglesias and Jesse Winker homered in the eighth inning to lead a 2-1 victory over the Marlins. Cincinnati entered the series on an eight-game skid before homering seven times in consecutive victories.
The Rockies-Braves game was postponed because of a strong storm expected to hit Colorado and beyond. The game will be made up Aug. 26.
In MLB news, Forbes estimates the Yankees are baseball's most valuable franchise at $4.6 billion, up 15 percent from its figure last year. The Dodgers are second at $3.3 billion. They are followed by the World Series champion Red Sox at $3.2 billion, the Cubs at $3.1 billion, the Giants at $3 billion and the Mets at $2.3 billion. Forbes lists the Marlins as the least valuable team at $1 billion, just behind the Rays' $1.01 billion. The Yankees' YES Network broadcasts Forbes "SportsMoney" television show.
In other baseball news, Cubs lefty Jon Lester has been placed on the 10-day injured list because of a strained left hamstring suffered in Monday's game against Pittsburgh. The five-time All-Star will miss at least one start after opening the season 1-0 with a 2.57 in three games for the Cubs.
Cardinals three-time All-Star infielder Matt Carpenter agreed to a contract that adds $37 million in guaranteed money for 2020 and '21, a deal that includes an option for 2022. has a .273 batting average with 134 home runs and a .376 on base percentage in 1,031 games since debuting in 2011 with the Cardinals.
Braves outfielder Nick Markakis had $20,000, five guns and other items stolen from his home while the team was on a road trip. According to an Atlanta Police Department report obtained by The Associated Press, officers responded to an alarm at Markakis's Atlanta home on March 29 and found the cash, an AR-15 rifle, four handguns, a watch and a safe had been stolen.
MLB and the Atlantic League say the experiment with radar-tracking technology to call balls and strikes will not be used when the independent minor league starts play on April 25. Instead, the technology will be implemented at an unspecified point later this year. Extending the distance between the pitching rubber and home plate by 2 feet to 62½ feet was pushed back to the second half of the 2020 season.
NFL
The New England Patriots have re-signed kicker Stephen Gostkowski and added tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Gostkowski is the franchise's all-time scoring leader with 1,743 points and is second behind only Adam Vinatieri in career postseason points. Seferian-Jenkins has played five NFL seasons with the Buccaneers, Jets and Jaguars.
In other NFL news, the Detroit Lions have signed quarterback Tom Savage, giving the team another backup option behind Matthew Stafford. The Lions also have quarterbacks Matt Cassel and Connor Cook on the roster.
Researchers may be closing in on a way to check athletes while they're alive for signs of a degenerative brain disease that's been linked to frequent head blows. Experimental scans found higher levels of an abnormal protein tied to the disease in a study of former National Football League players who were having mood and thought problems. It's the first time a major study has tested these scans for detecting chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which is only diagnosed now after death.
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