NHL playoffs: Blue Jackets rally from 3-goal deficit to beat Lightning 4-3; Sharks past Golden Knights 5-2

Seth Jones scored the go-ahead goal on the power play to cap Columbus’ three-goal third period, and the Blue Jackets rallied to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in Game 1 of the teams’ first-round Eastern Conference playoff series Wednesday night.

Jones made it 4-3 from the slot with 5:55 to play as the Blues Jackets erased a 3-0 deficit after the Lightning scored three times in the opening period.

With Columbus trailing 3-1 in the third, David Savard deked around Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and scored 7:56 into the period to make it a one-goal game. Josh Anderson picked up a short-handed goal that tied it at 3 at 11:54.

Nick Foligno had the other goal for Columbus, and Sergei Bobrovsky ended up with 26 saves after struggling in the first period.

San Jose 5, Vegas 2

Joe Pavelski took a puck off his chin to score the opening goal and the San Jose Sharks raced past the Vegas Golden Knights with a 5-2 victory Wednesday night in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Brent Burns, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Evander Kane added goals in a wild second period that featured heavy hitting, a parade to the penalty box and the high intensity expected in a series between two franchises that have become fierce rivals in just two seasons.

Tomas Hertl added an empty-net goal and Martin Jones made 24 saves to get San Jose started off right in this series heading into Game 2 on Friday night.

Mark Stone scored both goals for the Golden Knights, who struggled to generate much offense at all against a Sharks team that has appeared to shake off a late-season slide in time for the postseason. Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves.

N.Y. Islanders 4, Pittsburgh 3, OT

Josh Bailey scored on a rebound at 4:39 of overtime and the New York Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Wednesday night in the opener of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist, and Brock Nelson and Nick Leddy also scored for New York, which was opening a postseason series at home for the first time in 31 years. Robin Lehner stopped 41 shots.

Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin each had a goal and an assist, and Justin Schultz also scored for the Penguins. Matt Murray finished with 29 saves.

On the winning goal, Barzal brought the puck into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 break, faked in front to draw Murray out and sent a backhand shot that bounced off the left post, but Bailey was there to knock it in.

Game 2 is Friday night back at the Nassau Coliseum.

St. Louis 2, Winnipeg 1

Tyler Bozak scored with 2:05 left in the third period to give the St. Louis Blues the victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference opening-round playoff series.

Pat Maroon sent a backhand pass from behind the net out to Bozak in the slot, and Bozak’s quick shot went by Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck for the go-ahead goal.

David Perron also scored for St. Louis early in the third, and Jordan Binnington made 24 saves.

Patrik Laine scored late in the first period and Hellebuyck stopped 24 shots for the Jets, who host Game 2 on Friday.

Dallas 3, Nashville 2

Rookie Miro Heiskanen scored two goals in his first postseason game, and the Dallas Stars beat the Predators in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference series.

Heiskanen became the eighth rookie teenage defenseman in NHL history to score a goal in their first career playoff game and the first since Adam Larsson with New Jersey on May 1, 2012, against Philadelphia, according to NHL Stats. He also became the third-youngest with a multi-goal game and the youngest in franchise history with a postseason goal at 19 years, 266 days.

Mats Zuccarello also scored, helping Dallas continue its success from the regular season in Nashville, where the Stars won twice.

Roman Josi and P.K. Subban each scored for Nashville.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Saturday night in Nashville.