Canadiens veterans defiant in face of elimination

It was up to veterans Brian Gionta and Tomas Plekanec to convince the world — and perhaps themselves — that the Montreal Canadiens still have hope.

The team that looked so solid in coming back to eliminate the first-place overall Boston Bruins is down 3-1 to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference final, but Gionta insisted Monday that morale is good and the Canadiens are far from finished.

They will be facing elimination in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series at the Bell Centre on Tuesday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7:30 p.m. ET).

'With the group we have in here, we believe we can do it. And we believe we have got better as the series goes on'- Canadiens captain Brian Gionta

"It's no secret," Gionta said. "You start doing the right things, you start getting rewarded for it and momentum builds.

"You keep carrying that. A couple of teams have been able to do that this year, the Kings and the Rangers.

Tomas Plekanec, left, and Brian Gionta were key contributors when Montreal erased a 3-1 deficit to oust Washington in 2010. (Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

"So it's not something that can't be done and, with the group we have in here, we believe we can do it. And we believe we've got better as the series goes on."

Gionta and Plekanec were part of a Canadiens team that came back from a 3-1 deficit to upset the high-powered Washington Capitals en route to their last trip to the conference final in 2010.

They did it that time with desperate shot-blocking, spectacular goaltending from Jaroslav Halak and a quiet belief that they could pull it off.

This time, they are looking to third-stringer Dustin Tokarski to imitate Halak. The 24-year-old has been solid in goal since replacing the injured Carey Price in Game 2, allowing eight goals in 11 periods over three games.

He helped them claim an overtime win in New York in Game 3, but was beaten on Martin St. Louis' overtime snipe in Game 4 on Sunday night.

The Canadiens have played the Rangers close to evenly since a 7-2 loss in the series opener, but there were worrying signs in their latest loss. Defenceman Alexei Emein missed most of the first period after blocking a shot and then was mostly immobile after he returned.

And top forwards Thomas Vanek, who has struggled all series, and Max Pacioretty were all but invisible.

Plus, they remain without Price, the Canadian gold medallist from the Sochi Olympics in February who suffered a suspected right knee injury when New York's Chris Kreider crashed the net in the second period of the series opener.

Price skated for about 20 minutes without equipment before the team's optional practice, but Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien said he will not be back in this series.

'We need to get better'

For Gionta, hope comes from a feeling that his team is getting better and still has time to turn things around, as they did when they fell behind 3-2 to the Bruins in the conference semifinal.

The Canadiens rebounded with their best game of the playoffs in Game 6 and closed it out in Boston two days later.

"We were able to wear [the Bruins] defence down with our speed and our forechecking," he said. "We need to get better at that and I think that's what we've got better at as [the Rangers series] went on.

"Try to take advantage of their defencemen down low, try to spend some time in the offensive zone and start to make breakdowns and make things happen that way. Our backs are against the wall.

"It's win or go home. I would expect the same kind of effort as we had against Boston for sure."

They could also improve on special teams, although they had a breakthrough when defenceman P.K. Subban finally got a power play goal to tie the game in the third period on the sixth of Montreal's eight man-advantages.

"We sat down after the second period and made a little adjustment and it worked," Plekanec said. "And hopefully, we can carry it over to the next game.

"Special teams was one of the things that we probably weren't good enough at in the series so far. So it would be a good time to turn that around.

"It's not over. I didn't see one guy that was down after the game."

'Making the right plays' 

Plekanec was among five players in the Game 4 lineup who joined the reserve players in the optional skate, along with Tokarski, Rene Bourque, Michael Bournival and defenceman Francis Bouillon, who scored in his first appearance in the series in place of rookie Nathan Beaulieu.

Another potential boost for the Canadiens would be to score the first goal, which they did consistently in the first two rounds but have yet to do against the Rangers.

It would perhaps give them another missing element — confidence.

"We have to start playing more with confidence, making the right plays at the right time," said Plekanec. "When there's a play, we've got to make it.

"When there's no play, we've got to go for the puck. Sometimes, we didn't make the right decisions, so that's an aspect that definitely can be better.

"Confidence is a thing that, when you don't make the right plays, you start chipping it in instead of making plays. And sometimes, it's a situation where you should have made a play."

'No one is panicking'

Therrien feels his team has shown it can bounce back against the Bruins and can do it again.

Gionta, a Stanley Cup winner with New Jersey in 2003, agrees.

"Part of the playoffs part of being a professional, of being part of a winning team is being able to regroup and forget about it and deal with the circumstances that are ahead of you and not with what's behind you," he said. "Guys were disappointed.

"It was a huge blow. But the series isn't over.

"We still believe in this group. So no one is panicking."

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Hockey Night Radio: No stopping Martin St. Louis

Audio

Montreal Canadiens have hands full with New York Rangers star

CBC Sports Posted: May 26, 2014 7:04 PM ET Last Updated: May 26, 2014 7:04 PM ET

Click on the media player above as host Rob Pizzo and Hockey Night in Canada colleague Scott Oake assess the impact of Martin St. Louis of the New York Rangers on the outcome of the Eastern Conference final.   

Listen to more Hockey Night in Canada Radio interviews here. 

Follow Rob Pizzo on Twitter @robpizzo.

Follow Scott Oake on Twitter @ScottOake.

Rob Pizzo and his crew of co-hosts David Amber, Mike Brophy, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Elliotte Friedman, Kelly Hrudey, Craig Simpson and Tim Wharnsby talk hockey in an entertaining way on Hockey Night in Canada Radio, the flagship of NHL Network Radio on SiriusXM, weekdays from 3-5 p.m. ET on Sirius 207 and XM 92.

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Blue Jays pound Rays for 7th straight win

The Toronto Blue Jays power numbers have been impressive during their seven-game winning streak that has taken them to the top of the American League East standings.

They're also doing the little things right and it paid off in a 10-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.

Bunt singles, hustle plays, slick defence, outfield assists — the Blue Jays are doing it all while keeping the long ball in their arsenal. Edwin Encarnacion, Steve Tolleson and Dioner Navarro hit solo home runs and Toronto (30-22) pounded out 16 hits in the opener of a three-game series on a muggy night at Rogers Centre.

"They just put the heavy gloves on and beat us up tonight," said Rays manager Joe Maddon.

The Blue Jays jumped out to a 2-0 lead after opening with five straight hits on Canadian starter Erik Bedard (2-3). Tampa Bay (23-29) did some damage against Toronto starter Drew Hutchison (4-3), but could never move into the lead.

Every time the Rays scored, the Blue Jays were quick to answer.

When Tampa Bay tied the game in the third inning, Navarro and Tolleson responded with back-to-back homers in the fourth.

When the Rays pulled even again in the fifth, Toronto put four more runs on the board in the bottom half before Encarnacion added an insurance run with a solo shot in the sixth inning.

With the win, Toronto remained two games ahead of second-place New York in the AL East. The Yankees defeated St. Louis, 6-4 in 12 innings.

The Blue Jays have won seven of their last eight home games and 12 of their last 14 games overall.

"When things are going good, they're going good," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

It was Encarnacion's 13th homer this month, breaking Jose Bautista's club record for home runs in the month of May that was set in 2010. Melky Cabrera chipped in with three hits, while Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C., Navarro and Kevin Pillar added two hits apiece.

"It was just not enough," Maddon said. "They kept adding on.

"They have such a good lineup and, when the bottom [of the order] contributes like they did today, it makes it even more difficult."

The Blue Jays showed their mix of skill and power in the first inning. A bunt single, double and three straight singles got the crowd of just 15,616 into the game early.

David DeJesus hit a solo shot for Tampa Bay in the third and James Loney later drove in Evan Longoria with a sacrifice fly. The Rays loaded the bases but Tolleson showed his range at second base by cutting off a sharp grounder by Cole Figueroa and making an off-balance throw to first for the third out.

Toronto responded in the fourth inning by hitting back-to-back homers for the third time this season. The Blue Jays also used a little small ball to push another run across.

Pillar reached on an infield single and moved to second when Anthony Gose dropped down a nice sacrifice bunt. Reyes moved Pillar to third on a grounder to the right side of the infield and Cabrera drove him in with a single.

In the fifth, Tampa Bay's Matt Joyce hit a one-out double and cleanup hitter Desmond Jennings followed with his fifth homer of the season. Loney tied the game with a solo shot — the first time the Rays have hit back-to-back homers this year.

Toronto responded with four runs in the bottom half of the frame. Encarnacion and Lawrie hit back-to-back doubles and Navarro added a run-scoring single to make it 7-5, knocking Bedard out of the game.

Alex Colome came on in relief and didn't fare much better.

He walked pinch-hitter Juan Francisco and got Pillar to fly out before being burned by the speedy Gose, who out-hustled Colome to the bag on a slow chopper to the right side. Reyes drew a bases-loaded walk and Cabrera drove in Francisco with a sacrifice fly.

Encarnacion led off the Toronto half of the sixth by turning on a 2-2 pitch from Colome. Entering the game, the Toronto slugger led the major leagues in homers in May, was tied for first with 17 extra-base hits and was second with 25 runs batted in.

Cabrera and Gose each chipped in with an outfield assist. Pillar also showed off his defensive skill in right field by making a nice sliding catch at the warning track to prevent Longoria from driving in a couple of runs.

Hutchison allowed seven hits, five earned runs and four walks. Bedard, from Navan, Ont., gave up 12 hits, seven earned runs and struck out a pair.

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LeBron James, Bosh power Heat past Pacers

Chris Bosh got them started. LeBron James took over in the second half. And in the end, the Miami Heat moved one win from yet another Eastern Conference title.

James had 32 points and 10 rebounds, Bosh added 25 points — nearly matching his output from the first three games of the series combined — and the Heat grabbed control of the conference finals by topping the Indiana Pacers, 102-90 in Game 4 for a 3-1 series lead.

Dwyane Wade added 15 points and Miami never trailed, leading by 23 at one point.

"We try to get better every single day, every single game," James said. "When you do that and go out and play the type of game that you are capable of playing, you can be satisfied with the results and that's what we've built over the years."

Only the Celtics and Lakers franchises have been to the NBA Finals in four straight seasons. The Heat now have three chances to join that club, starting with Game 5 at Indiana on Wednesday night.

"We got outplayed by the Heat," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. "I wasn't disappointed in our fight, I was disappointed in the result."

Paul George scored 23 points and David West added 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Pacers, who got 15 points from George Hill. But Lance Stephenson, who made news in the days between Games 3 and 4 by suggesting he was in James' head, was held to nine points and 7-foot-2 centre Roy Hibbert was scoreless in 22 minutes for Indiana.

"I was trying to get into his head," Stephenson said, referring to James.

"I guess he stepped up and got the win. I can take the heat."

The heat, maybe. The Heat, maybe not.

Miami has won the last three games in the series and going back to Game 3 when the Heat trailed by 15 points, they have outscored the Pacers by 39 points in a span of about 6 1/2 quarters.

The Pacers won two elimination games in the first round against Atlanta, and need to win three more if their yearlong plan of topping Miami as kings of the East is going to become reality.

The odds are, obviously, stacked against them. When holding a 3-1 lead, Miami is 8-0 in Game 5s over the past four post-seasons.

"We have a chance to play an NBA game on our home floor," West said. "We are going to try to do something that's very tough."

'A fast start'

Bosh scored the game's first eight points, making a pair of three-pointers and ending a series-long funk. He had scored exactly nine points in each of the first three games of this series and was held under 10 points in each of his last seven playoff games against Indiana.

But he came out flying and, probably not coincidentally, the Heat finally had a good start.

"I told him he was going to have a great game," James said. "We got off to a fast start because of him."

Miami won the first quarter for the first time in the series, going up 27-19 and helped in part by a late three-pointer from Shane Battier, with replays showing Vogel moved down the sideline toward the Heat forward as he shot from near the Indiana bench.

If nothing else, at least he was trying to beat Big Brother.

Much as he did Sunday, Vogel used the big brother-little brother analogy with his team, trying any way to urge the Pacers to break through against the team that has ended their season in each of the past two years.

"He's got to make a decision at some point in his life, that no matter what, we're not going to lose this fight anymore," Vogel said, likening the Pacers to the little brother in that scenario.

"We're at that point."

'Best offensive team'

The fight isn't over. But it was awfully one-sided for long stretches of Game 4.

Miami outscored Indiana 31-20 in the third quarter and kept pulling away before the Pacers used a 15-3 run to make things rather interesting. Stephenson had a layup with 3:20 left that would have gotten Indiana within nine — but it was waved off after he was called for fouling Wade on his way to the basket.

Stephenson scored with 1:31 left to make it 99-90, but James snuffed out any comeback hopes right there with a three-point play.

Miami was without Chris Andersen, inactive because of a bruised left thigh. The Heat also tweaked their starting lineup, with Rashard Lewis in and Udonis Haslem out.

The Pacers were down only 49-44 at halftime, even though Hibbert and Stephenson both had three fouls. The Heat didn't have a turnover until the second quarter and Miami shot 10 more free throws in the half and Bosh and James combined for 32 points in the first 24 minutes.

If there was any doubt, Miami erased it quickly after halftime. James scored five points in a 7-0 spurt to open the second half and the Heat were on their way.

"They're the best offensive team in the NBA," Vogel said.

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Kings 1 win away from Stanley Cup final

The ovations started after the Los Angeles Kings' third goal in 16 minutes to open Game 4 of the Western Conference final, and the home crowd eventually serenaded its team off the ice for intermission.

The low-scoring Kings have become the Stanley Cup playoffs' highest-scoring team. This defensive powerhouse is shutting down the Chicago Blackhawks' big stars while pushing the defending champions to the verge of elimination.

Yep, the Kings deserved a hand — even if they insist they still haven't anything that's really worth cheering.

Jake Muzzin, Marian Gaborik and captain Dustin Brown scored in a dominant first period, and Los Angeles beat Chicago 5-2 Monday night to take a 3-1 series lead.

Muzzin and Drew Doughty each had a goal and an assist, and Jonathan Quick made 22 saves as the Kings moved to the brink of their second trip to the Stanley Cup Final in three seasons with their third straight win over the defending champion Blackhawks.

Jake Muzzin (6) celebrates a goal with his Los Angeles Kings as Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, rear, skates past on Monday in Los Angeles. ( Harry How/Getty Images)

Gaborik, who joined the Kings on March 5 and immediately catalyzed their offence, took a momentary break from the businesslike atmosphere of the Kings' dressing room and just plain marveled what Los Angeles has accomplished this spring.

"To come into every game with that confidence, to have that mojo that you can win every game, that's the difference," Gaborik said. "It's great to come to a team like this and be part of a winning culture."

Tanner Pearson added an empty-net goal for the Kings, who have been to the NHL finals just twice in franchise history, winning their only title in 2012. One year after Los Angeles lost the conference finals in five games to Chicago, the Kings have their own chance to close it out in five.

Game 5 is Wednesday in Chicago.

"We're not looking ahead," Kings forward Justin Williams said. "Chicago, I believe they've been down 3-1 before. Every team has been through experiences that have made them better. Stanley Cup championship teams like Chicago and us, we've been through a lot. We've persevered through a lot, and they're down 3-1, we're trying to squash them, and they're trying to get some life."

Two days after the Kings gritted out a 4-3 victory over Chicago in Game 3, they won again at Staples Center by scoring three goals on their first six shots of Game 4, capping an incredible three-game offensive performance by the lowest-scoring NHL team to make the post-season.

After trailing 2-0 late in the second period of Game 2, Los Angeles scored 13 goals in less than 100 minutes, capped by a dominant first period in Game 4.

Muzzin scored on a power play. Gaborik added his 10th goal of the post-season off Duncan Keith's turnover. Brown banged a puck into an open net for another power-play goal, his first score since Game 7 of the first round against San Jose.

Cue the standing ovations.

Brandon Saad and Bryan Bickell scored and Corey Crawford stopped 16 shots for the Blackhawks, who didn't get rolling until they trailed 4-0 late in the second period.

"I don't think we played that poorly," Chicago captain Jonathan Toews said. "We made some mistakes, and their confidence snowballed on us. Next thing you know, it doesn't matter how hard you work or how many shifts you spend in their zone. If the bounces aren't going your way, it's tough to get back in a game like this. We're going to find a way to get those bounces again and get things rolling our way. We'll work ourselves out of it."

The Blackhawks escaped a 3-1 hole in the second round against Detroit last season, but that's the only time in franchise history Chicago has rallied from that deficit — and the Kings are an entirely different post-season challenge.

"It's not a good position to be in," said Patrick Kane, who assisted on Bickell's goal for his first point in the series. "Coming into this series, we'd be lying if we thought we'd be in this position, but it happens. Got no one to blame but ourselves, so we're the only ones that can get ourselves out of it."

After their dominant opening period, the Kings kept pressing in the second, and Doughty put a long shot through traffic midway through the period. Doughty, the Kings' leader in ice time, has goals in back-to-back games after scoring just once in the first 16 playoff games.

Chicago finally beat Quick when Saad scored on a backhand. The Kings sat back on defence to start the third period, and Bickell got just his second goal in eight games when he jumped on a loose puck in the slot with 10:31 to play.

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Coach's Corner: No room for little guys

Video

Grapes explains why smaller NHL players may be on the way out

CBC Sports Posted: May 25, 2014 11:14 PM ET Last Updated: May 25, 2014 11:14 PM ET

Click the video player above to watch Don Cherry and Ron MacLean in the Coach's Corner during the first intermission as they as they talk about small players in the NHL and why Grapes thinks they may not be around for much longer.​

Watch previous episodes of Coach's Corner here. 

Follow Don Cherry on Twitter @CoachsCornerCBC.

Follow Ron MacLean on Twitter @RonMacLeanCBC.

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Inside Hockey: Josh Gorges

Video

Habs defenceman in conversation with Hockey Night's Scott Oake

CBC Sports Posted: May 25, 2014 8:48 PM ET Last Updated: May 25, 2014 8:48 PM ET

Click the video player above and watch Inside Hockey on demand as Hockey Night in Canada rinkside reporter Scott Oake interviews Canadiens defenceman Josh Gorges prior to Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final.

Watch previous segments from Inside Hockey here. 

Follow Hockey Night on Twitter @hockeynight.

Follow Scott Oake on Twitter @ScottOake.

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Martin St. Louis, Rangers put Habs on brink of elimination

Martin St. Louis found another way to lift up his New York Rangers teammates. This time he carried them within one win of the Stanley Cup finals.

What St. Louis lacks in physical size, he compensates with heart. Since he rejoined the club one day after the unexpected death of his mother, without missing a game, St. Louis has provided inspiration on and off the ice.

Now he also is delivering the clutch offence he has always been known for.

St. Louis scored his sixth goal of the playoffs 6:02 into overtime to give the Rangers a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday night.

New York leads the series 3-1 and can advance to the championship round for the first time since claiming the Cup 20 years ago as early as Tuesday night in Montreal. The Rangers won the first two games on the road before losing Game 3 in overtime Thursday night.

"It's a big difference up 3-1 instead of 2-2 going back to Montreal," St. Louis said. "We were obviously disappointed with the result last game. We thought we played a good game. That's just hockey. Tonight we are on a good end, and it's a big plus."

A loose puck came to St. Louis, alone in the right circle, and he fired a snap shot over goalie Dustin Tokarski's shoulder.

"I just got open," said St. Louis, who has 39 career playoff goals. "I tried to trust my instincts. I hit some good shots, he made some good saves. I was fortunate this one got by him."

The Rangers won after squandering a pair of one-goal leads.

"I just remember there was a turnover somewhere around the neutral zone. I'm not sure," Tokarski said. "St. Louis had some time and picked a corner on me. It's a game of inches, and we came up a bit short."

Carl Hagelin put the Rangers in front with a short-handed tally in the first period, and Derick Brassard made it 2-1 in the second. Hagelin also assisted on St. Louis' winner.

King Henrik ties franchise record

Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves and earned his 41st postseason win, tying the franchise record of Mike Richter, who was in attendance. He also earned an assist on Brassard's goal for his first career postseason point.

"I'm really proud to be out there with those guys, and hopefully can keep it going a little more," Lundqvist said.

The Rangers are 6-1 since the death of St. Louis' mother galvanized the team. St. Louis was acquired from Tampa Bay at the March trade deadline for former captain Ryan Callahan.

"He has been great for us ever since he got here," said Hagelin, who also scored his sixth goal. "He shows a lot of tenacity and emotion every time he steps on the ice."

Francis Bouillon tied it for Montreal in the second, and fellow defenseman P.K. Subban made it 2-2 in the third with a power-play goal. David Desharnais assisted on both for Montreal. Tokarski stopped 26 shots for the Canadiens, who went 1 for 8 on the power play.

"By no means are we counting ourselves out," Canadiens captain Brian Gionta said. "It's a tough loss, it's a bitter loss, but at the end of the day we are still in this series. I still like our chances with two games at home."

The Rangers rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the second round against Pittsburgh.

Though there were 13 minor penalties, there was no carry-over of the nastiness in Game 3 when a hit by Montreal's Brandon Prust broke the jaw of New York forward Derek Stepan. Prust served the first game of a two-game suspension. Stepan sat out after having surgery.

Habs break up Rangers' special team streak

The Rangers gave Montreal five power plays through the first two periods, and New York's penalty-killers stood tall. But the sixth produced the tying goal two minutes into the third period when Subban scored his first goal of the series and first point in six games.

That broke the Rangers' run of 27 straight killed penalties, dating to Game 2 of the second round.

Montreal came at the Rangers in waves for much of the third period and nearly grabbed the lead when Alex Galchenyuk, who scored in overtime of Game 3, struck the crossbar with 3:17 left in regulation.

Brassard, the focal point of some of the war of words between the two head coaches over the weekend, proved he has recovered from his Game 1 injury when he ripped a slap shot past Tokarski to restore the Rangers' lead with 55.3 seconds left in the second.

Lundqvist stopped a puck behind the net and moved it up to Dan Girardi in the right circle. Girardi sent a pass nearly the length of the ice to Brassard, who grabbed the puck at the lower edge of the left circle, pulled his stick way back, held it loaded and then unleashed a drive that soared into the net for his fifth of the playoffs.

Brassard had missed most of the first three games of the series. Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said on Saturday he knew exactly what was ailing Brassard, comments that were perceived by the Rangers as a veiled threat.

The goal was a strong response by the Rangers, who lost their 1-0 lead at 8:08 of the second when Bouillon fired a shot in over Lundqvist's left shoulder during a 2-on-1 break.

The Rangers put themselves into trouble by taking three straight offensive-zone penalties in the first period, but they were the ones who produced a goal during the power plays.

While Benoit Pouliot was serving the first few seconds of his high-sticking penalty against defenseman Alexei Emelin, the Rangers gained control of the puck after a faceoff in their end. Brian Boyle was deep in the zone when he spotted Hagelin streaking up the middle of the ice.

Boyle hit him in stride with a pass just before the blue line, and Hagelin carried the puck in alone, shifted to his backhand in close, and slid the puck in at 7:18. New York's first short-handed goal of this postseason came 12 seconds into Pouliot's penalty.

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Hockey Night Post-Game

Video

Stanley Cup playoff highlights, analysis and player reaction

CBC Sports Posted: May 26, 2014 1:07 AM ET Last Updated: May 26, 2014 1:07 AM ET

Click the video player above and watch highlights, expert analysis and player interviews on demand as Hockey Night In Canada recaps Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. 

Watch Game 4 on demand in condensed form here. 

Follow Hockey Night on Twitter @hockeynight.

Follow Rob Pizzo on Twitter @robpizzo.

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French Open: Eugenie Bouchard wins at rainy Roland Garros

Canada's Eugenie Bouchard overcame a rain delay to easily dispatch her first-round opponent at the French Open, defeating Israel's Shahar Peer 6-0, 6-2 on Monday at Roland Garros.

Bouchard, seeded 18th, was leading 3-1 in the second set when the match was suspended. When it resumed, the Montrealer claimed three of the next four games to finish off the unseeded Peer.

Bouchard will face the winner of the match between Portugal's Michelle Larcher De Brito and Germany's Julia Goerges. Both are unseeded.

Earlier, Maria Sharapova took advantage of a break in the rain — and several breaks of her opponent's serve — to win her opening match.

The 2012 champion was first on court in the main stadium at Roland Garros and needed little more than an hour to reach the second round by beating Ksenia Pervak 6-1, 6-2.

"It's always nice to get out there on a day like this. It's good to play first match, as you know," Sharapova said. "Hopefully you'll be able to finish the match today with the weather conditions being as they are. It's always nice to get through."

Sharapova broke Pervak five times and finished with 17 winners, while Pervak had only four.

Sharapova, seeded seventh at the French Open, completed a career Grand Slam at Roland Garros two years ago. She then lost to Serena Williams in the 2013 final.

Up next in Paris will be Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria in the second round. But she could face Williams in the quarterfinals.

"It's tough to think about that match down the line where you have to compete in three matches before that," Sharapova said. "Obviously it's a match that many people always look forward to when we play against each other."

Monday's match started about 1 hour, 20 minutes late because of the wet weather. The forecast called for more rain Monday, and for the rest of the week.

Shortly after Sharapova's match ended, and shortly after Novak Djokovic's match started, the rain returned and play was suspended.

Djokovic was leading Joao Sousa of Portugal 4-1 when play was halted.

Australian Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia also advanced, beating Virginie Razzano of France 7-5, 6-0.

Other winners include No. 12 Flavia Pennetta of Italy and No. 16 Sabine Lisicki of Germany. Pennetta beat Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria 6-2, 6-2, while 2013 Wimbledon runner-up Lisicki defeated Fiona Ferro of France 6-1, 7-5.

On the men's side, ninth-seeded Kei Nishikori was knocked out at the first step, losing to Martin Klizan of Slovakia 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-2.

Nishikori came into the tournament after winning his first clay-court title in Barcelona last month and then reaching the final in Madrid against Rafael Nadal where he had to retire with a back injury.

Nishikori, the highest-ranked Japanese man in history, is No. 10 in the world, one spot lower than his career high.

Later Monday, eight-time champion Nadal and Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka were scheduled to play — weather permitting.

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