Blues stay alive, edge Predators 2-1
ST. LOUIS — Dmitrij Jaskin scored in his first playoff game this season, Jaden Schwartz got the game-winner and the St. Louis Blues topped the Nashville Predators 2-1 on Friday night to stay alive in their second-round NHL playoff series.
Schwartz scored 25 seconds into the third period on a rebound off a Colton Parayko shot, giving St. Louis a 2-1 lead. Schwartz has a team-high four postseason goals.
Jake Allen made 21 saves for the Blues, who had dropped two in a row.
James Neal scored for the Predators, and Pekka Rinne made 30 saves. Game 6 is in Nashville on Sunday. Jaskin put the Blues in front at 5:43 of the second period, banging home a rebound off an Alex Pietrangelo shot. It was Jaskin’s second career playoff goal.
Jaskin was inserted into the lineup in place of Alexander Steen, who was sidelined with a lower-body injury. He had just one goal in 51 games this season.
Neal tied it with Nashville enjoying a two-man advantage with 6:10 left in the second. The power play was set up when Pietrangelo and Patrik Berglund both took minors with 7:19 left.
The Blues managed just one shot on goal, a 45-footer by Pietrangelo, during more than four straight minutes of power-play time between the first and second periods, including 1:50 of a 5-on-3 opportunity.
Mike Fisher had three blocks for the Predators — all on Vladimir Tarasenko — during the Blues’ twoman advantage. St. Louis is a leagueworse 2-for-28 on the power play in the postseason.
The Blues and Predators announced a joint effort to donate to flood relief efforts in the Midwest. The Blues will be donating all of the proceeds during Game 5 from their 50/50 raffle, memorabilia sales and Blues for Kids silent auction to the American Red Cross disaster relief efforts.
The Predators announced that all of the proceeds raised from the “Smash Car” at Bridgestone Arena, as well as the Nashville Predators Foundation’s Game 5 online auction, would be donated to the relief efforts in St. Louis.