The St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators met for the second time in a week, this time in St. Louis. The Predators were looking to repeat their matchup last Thursday, a 7-2 win. Well, they got just that, winning 5-2. Let’s jump into the recap and see how we got here.
First Period
It did not take long for the Predators to score the first goal of the game. In fact, it only took 27 seconds. Filip Forsberg received a pass from Ryan O’Reilly and wristed in his 12th goal of the season.
Dalibor Dvorsky tied the game at 10:06. It was his fourth goal of the season and first at even strength.
That was the final goal of the first period, but it was certainly not the end of the action. The remainder of the period saw two fighting majors issued, as well as eight minutes of slashing and roughing penalties called. No one would expect anything less from a rivalry game.
The Predators outshot the Blues, 12-6, in the opening period.
Second Period
As in the first period, the Preds did not take long to bounce back in the second. Michael Bunting scored on a wrap-around 1:23 into the period. The team struck again about four minutes later, with Forsberg scoring his second of the game, capitalizing on a power play.
Reid Schaefer added to the lead with 1:15 left in the period. He scored a goal from the blue line that found its way into the back of the net.
The Predators outshot the Blues in the second period, 8-6.
Third Period
The Blues cut the deficit in half with 11:31 remaining. Dvorsky scored his second of the game, tipping in a pass from Jake Neighbours.
Blues’ head coach Jim Montgomery pulled the goalie with just under four minutes left. Seconds after, O’Reilly stole the puck and fed Forsberg, who sealed the deal with his third of the game. For Forsberg, it was his 12th career hat trick, his second one against the Blues.
Following the Forsberg goal, the Blues went to the power play. Dvorsky made a bid for his own hat trick, but his initial shot was stopped. The rebound went off a Nashville player and back on net, but it stayed out. The Preds killed off the power play, and the remaining time ticked off the clock without any additional excitement.
The Blues outshot the Predators in the third period, 9-6. The Predators outshot the Blues for the game, 26-21.
What’s Next?
The Blues remain at home and will battle the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night. The Predators will head back home and also play host on Wednesday, with the Carolina Hurricanes coming to “Music City.”
