Preview: The St. Louis Blues (38-28-7) and Nashville Predators (27-36-8) will meet for the 3rd time in 10 days and the final time this season.
The Blues are in the second Wild Card spot with 83 points. They are just 2 points behind Minnesota in the first WC spot and a few points up on Vancouver and Calgary below them, but all three opponents have played fewer games.
Pavel Buchnevich is still out, so Zack Bolduc remains on the top line, and Alexendre Texier stays
on the 3rd line. Joel Hofer starts between the pipes and Juuse Saros for the Predators as the
Blues go for their 8th win in a row.
Predators lead 2 to 0 after period 1…
The Predators get on the board first with their second shot on goal…beating Hofer high to the stick side from the slot. It's 1 to 0 at 2:48. The Blues are on the powerplay 3:31 into the period. Texier drew the holding penalty. The Blues have no real pressure and no shots on the PP.
At 8:30, Ryan Suter slashes a Predator, and they go on the power play. And they take advantage to make it 2 to 0 with 14 seconds left on the kill. Their 5th shot overall…Blues with only 2 shots through the first 10 minutes. The Blues struggled to get any offensive zone time and finished with 3 shots to 6 for the Preds.
Blues get on the scoreboard in period 2…
Predators get called for a hooking penalty, and the Blues are on the PP, 1:06 into the period. Need better possession on this PP…Preds get the first opportunity shorthanded…Hofer had to make a solid save. Blues with only one shot.
A skirmish at 5:29 after a hit from behind on Jake Neighbours gets the Blues defending him and Tyler Tucker gets matching fighting majors with Englund of the Predators. No penalty to the Preds for the bad hit.
Nathan Walker pushes one over the goal line, but the whistle has blown…11:56 left… an early whistle. At the midway point of the second period, shots are 9 to 8 in favor of the Predators. Nashville has the lead, 2 to 0.
On their 10th shot, the Blues get on the board with a wrist shot from Dylan Holloway off a drop pass from Robert Thomas, his 25th goal of the season. It's 2 to 1 with just over 9 minutes left.
The Blues take a penalty with 8:01 left…a high stick by Tucker…as the Nashville player seemed to lift Tucker's stick, which caught him in the face. Two shots are on the power play. We remain 2 to 1.
With 3:46 left, Thomas is tripped up as he cuts through the defense…Blues back to the powerplay...but it’s short-lived as Neighbours takes a holding penalty as Nashville had a break and we go 4 on 4 for 1:25. Neither team can score. And the period ends 2 to 1, with Nashville leading in shots 13 to 10. Each team has 7 shots in the period.
Blues score two in 22 seconds in the 3rd...
2-24-4 is the Blues record when trailing after 2 periods… Blues with only one shot in the first 5 minutes of the period…. Cam Fowler makes it 2 to 2 with 8:03 left…a wrist shot high to the top corner…Neighbours and Brayden Schenn with the assists. Their 16th shot.
Then Holloway gets his 26th goal and 2nd of the game with 7:41 left…off a bad turnover by the Preds, Hollywood steals the puck and fires it over the glove of Saros…2 goals in 22 seconds and it’s 3 to 2 Blues!! Thomas with the assist.
5 MINUTES!! The Blues finally have the edge in shots…18 to 16 and lead 3 to 2. Nashville pulls the goalie with 1:24 left…a Hofer with a big shoulder save…Toropchenko with a huge block…Preds call a timeout with 20 seconds left…faceoff in the Blues end…Thomas wins it from Ryan O’Reilly…a puck in the net at the buzzer for the Predators…GAME OVER BLUES WIN 3 to 2!! 8th WIN IN A ROW!! What a comeback!!! Shots end up 21 to 18 Blues!! And they keep pace in the wild-card standings.