On Saturday night, the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators resumed their respective seasons following the Christmas break. The Predators were seeking a third-straight win over the Blues in December, while the Blues were looking to get the post-Christmas part of the season off to a strong start. The Blues would win, 3-2. Let’s jump into the recap and see how we got here.
First Period
The Blues scored the first goal of the game, taking advantage of a power-play opportunity. Brayden Schenn tipped in a shot from Cam Fowler for a 1-0 lead midway through the period. The goal gave Schenn 700 career points.
The lead would not last long, however, as Tyson Jost tipped in a shot to tie the game less than three minutes later.
Late in the period, Pavel Buchnevich and Jake Neighbours would get a two-on-one rush. Buchnevich tried to pass the puck to Neighbours, but the puck hit Predators defenseman Roman Josi and came back to Buchnevich. The forward took matters into his own hands, scoring on the backhand to restore his team’s lead, which they took into the locker room.
Related: St. Louis Blues: Revisiting the Pavel Buchnevich Trade
The shots on goal were even after the first period, 8-8.
Second Period
The Predators thought they had tied the game with 2:53 left in the period, following a takeaway by Ryan O’Reilly and a goal into a vacant net by Filip Forsberg. However, the Blues challenged the play for offside. Replays showed that Steven Stamkos was offside when the puck was sent into the zone, resulting in no goal.
The Preds came close again in the final seconds of the period. Josi jumped into the play and attempted to wrap the puck around the net. Colton Parayko would get his stick on the shot, keeping the puck out and keeping the Blues ahead.
The Predators outshot the Blues in the second period, 10-6.
Third Period
The Blues got a big insurance goal 4:40 into the final period. Buchnevich picked up his own rebound and put in the loose change for a 3-1 lead, also putting the Russian forward on hat-trick watch.
The Predators would not go away quietly, even when playing with one less player on the ice. Fedor Svechkov scored a shorthanded goal to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Predators pulled the goalie with under three minutes left, seeking the tying goal. One last scoring chance at the end was blocked by Philip Broberg and covered by Joel Hofer, sealing the deal on the Blues’ win.
The Predators outshot the Blues in the third period, 13-7, and for the game, 31-20.
What’s Next?
The Blues remain at home, where they will play the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. The Predators also play on Monday. They stay on the road and will face the Utah Mammoth.
