-Photo by Jeff Curry/NHLI via Getty Images
After a 10 day break, the Blues defeated Central Division foe Nashville 5-4. T.J. Oshie and Jaden Schwartz powered St. Louis with a pair of goals early in the game before shootout heroics from Kevin Shattenkirk.
Early in the game, it was all Predators, but the Blues came on strong in the final two periods to get the win.
With under eight minutes remaining in the first period and the Blues down a man, Roman Josi slapped a high shot over Brian Elliott, but the puck bounced down off of Elliott’s back and into the back of the net. The goal gave the Preds a 1-0 lead headed into the first intermission.
The Blues struggled early in the second period to generate chances and Nashville capitalized. Rookie Filip Forsberg came through again for the Predators with his 17th goal of the season on a rebound opportunity putting the Blues in a two-goal hole.
Despite outshooting the Predators 15-12 after roughly a period and a half of play, the Blues failed to find the back of the net.
That all changed when Vladamir Tarasenko carried the puck, with speed, in on Carter Hutton. Hutton made the first save, but Schwartz was right in front to put home his 17th tally of the season cutting the lead to one with under 12 minutes remaining in the second period.
It was a story of second attempts and a comeback at the Scottrade Center tonight as Oshie circled in the offensive zone before finding David Backes. Backes slid the puck to Stastny who fired a shot that was blocked down to Oshie who scored to tie the game at two.
Just moments later, the Blues went in on a three on two as Shattenkirk took a shot that was turned aside by Hutton. Steve Ott trailed the play and hammered in the rebound from the high slot to give St. Louis its first lead of the game.
From Schwartz’s goal to Ott’s, the Blues outshot the Predators 7-0 and scored three times over 4:40.
The game went back and forth at the end of the second period as Fisher netted his second of the game to tie the game back up. But that tie would not last has Ryan Reaves gave the Blues the 4-3 lead headed into the second intermission.
St. Louis held the lead for the majority of the third period, but Nashville tied the game back up at four as James Neal scored his 16th goal of the season off a one-timer in the slot. The goal came with just 2:38 left in regulation.
With the score tied after three periods of play, the game went to overtime. Five minutes of four on four action was, however, not enough to decide this game as it went to a shootout.
True to form, Oshie was up first and scored for St. Louis. Elliott turned the first two Predators attempts away, but was deked out by Josi. The shootout was tied 1-1 after the first three shooters.
On the fourth attempt, Shattenkirk beat Hutton low past his left pad for the goal.
Nashville needed a goal from Neal, but he lost the handle of the puck and the Blues got the 5-4 win in shootout.
With the win, St. Louis improves to 30-13-4 and sits second in the Central Division behind Nashville.
The Blues will return on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes Friday Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. CT.
