Blues earn win, stave off elimination

Dmitrij Jaskin scored in his first playoff game this season, Jaden Schwartz got the game-winner and the Blues topped the Predators 2-1 on Friday in St. Louis to stay alive in their Western Conference semifinal.

Schwartz scored 25 seconds into the third on a rebound off a Colton Parayko shot, giving the Blues a 2-1 lead. Schwartz has a team-high four postseason goals. Jake Allen made 21 saves for the Blues, who are down 3-2 in the series.

James Neal scored for the Predators, and Pekka Rinne made 30 saves. Game 6 is Sunday in Nashville. Jaskin, who put the Blues in front in the second period when banged home a rebound off an Alex Pietrangelo shot, was inserted into the lineup in place of Alexander Steen, who was sidelined with a lower-body injury. Jaskin scored just one goal in 51 regular-season games.

Neal tied it with 6:10 left in the second when the Predators were enjoying a two-man advantage.

Sidney Crosby returned to work Friday, practicing with his Penguins teammates barely four days removed from a frightening hit that left the him with a concussion, and his status for the rest of the playoffs uncertain.

While the two-time MVP declined to get into specifics whether he’ll be available for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Capitals on Saturday in Washington, he’s keeping his options open.

“I don’t want to rule it out. It’s not up to me,” Crosby said.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan is in no rush to make a decision on Crosby as the defending Stanley Cup champions try to close out the Capitals. “We’ll see how he responds,” Sullivan said. Penguins forward Conor Sheary, who also sustained a concussion in Game 3, also practiced in full gear Friday. Like Crosby, Sheary’s status is day to day.

Senators coach Guy Boucher said Thursday night after his team’s 4-1 loss to the Rangers in New York that two-time All-Star defenseman Erik Karlsson will play Saturday in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal in Ottawa, Ontario.

Karlsson, who has a goal and seven assists in 10 games this postseason and played during the first two rounds with two microfractures in his left foot, left Game 4 after suffering a lower-body injury during the second period.

Boucher said Karlsson could have returned to the game that evened the series at two games apiece, but the coach exercised caution with the Senators trailing 3-0.

“We felt it was better for him to keep him off the ice in the (third) period,” Boucher said. “He could’ve come back, but we just wanted to make sure.”