Blues stay alive by beating Predators

The former Norris Trophy victor had 40 points in 66 games during his first regular season in Nashville, and Subban has six points in eight games in these playoffs. To win three games, you must first win one.

Notes: The Predators’ only playoff series clinched outside of Nashville came in Game 7 in Anaheim to clinch their first-round series previous year.

“The game was out of sync a little bit, we found ourselves in the box”, Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. “We felt like there were moments in this series where we could have grabbed it. When he plays the way that he does and he gets to the hard areas, he protects the puck, he wins battles offensively, that opens up time and space for other people and creates situations and opportunities for himself as well”.

“Right now, it means everything”, Rinne said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Ryan Johansen celebrated his game-winning goal with a windmill fist pump, and the Nashville Predators finished off the rest of a thrilling third period with the standing-room only crowd on their feet anticipating history.

Jake Allen made 21 saves for St. Louis, which is 3-2 at home this postseason.

“We needed him to have a big game, and he did just that”, Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said of Jaskin. “It’s frustrating that way”.

When the Blues score first, they are 4-0 in the playoffs, 1-4 when they don’t and they have allowed the first goal in the series in each of the first four games.

“That game’s gone now, boys”, the Blues’ Scottie Upshall told a few fellows in the media. “Probably every game, he was our best player and he was our best player again”.

Caggiula put the Oilers up 3-0 with a score off a 4-on-1 rush midway through the period. But it didn’t take long for the Predators to grab the lead, and the man who provided it for them should have come as no surprise, either.

Five (!) goals in the first period and a couple more in the second sealed the deal for Edmonton, and Cam Talbot was on point to halt all but one of Anaheim’s own 34 shots. He came in on a break and was hooked from behind by Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm.

A 3-1 series deficit looms large if you let it.

“That’s what we look forward to”.

This was the first game of this series to go scoreless through the first 40 minutes thanks to dazzling saves by both goalies.

The Blues went on a two-man advantage with under two minutes left to play in the opening period with eight shots on goal and had just nine when it was over. The Predators started the 2005/06 with 10 straight wins and were able to maintain the success for the teams first 100 point season, finishing with 106 points. David Perron was knocked into the boards by Roman Josi (and a skate “somehow” came up and hit DP_57 in the face), yet no interference penalty was called even though Perron never played the puck.

“It’s tough when you’re working so hard and you kind of feel like you’re not getting credit nearly”, Parayko said. “We’ve got to go into it with the mindset of closing this out, knowing that it’s going to be a tough game and just be the best version of ourselves”.