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Early flood of goals helps Blues take down Preds

Oct 4, 2013 - 5:19 AM St. Louis, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - David Backes, Vladimir Sobotka and T.J. Oshie scored in the first half of the first period, helping St. Louis take a 4-2 decision over Nashville at Scottrade Center.

Alex Steen added a power-play tally and Alex Pietrangelo contributed a pair of helpers for the Blues, who won their second consecutive season opener on home ice.

"You have to score on the power play if you want to win hockey games," Pietrangelo said. "You have to take advantage of that extra guy."

Jaroslav Halak stopped 28-of-30 shots for the victory.

Mike Fisher and David Legwand lit the lamp in defeat for the Predators. Pekka Rinne started, but was shelled for three scores on six shots. Carter Hutton finished the contest with 21 saves.

"I thought we outplayed them in the first period aside from them capitalizing on their opportunities," Nashville forward Eric Nystrom said. "We knew we had good jump but ultimately we fell short."

It took the Blues only three seconds into the game's first power play to go up by a goal. A Pietrangelo slapper hit a body en route to the net, then Backes picked up the puck, wheeled around and beat Rinne on a shot along the ice only 2:05 after the opening faceoff.

Sobotka's backhander off the rush from the left wing made it 2-0 for the hosts with 5:43 played, and Oshie finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play in close for a three-goal spread at 9:45.

Rinne was pulled for Hutton, and the change provided a boost for the visitors. Fisher put the Preds on the board with 9:18 remaining, one-timing a Nick Spaling dish from the right side of the crease.

Nashville crept within 3-2 at the 5:09 mark of the second, when Legwand deflected in a perfect saucer pass from Patric Hornqvist.

But Steen's point drive on a power play found room between Hutton's pads and the Blues were up 4-2 with 8:44 left in the middle stanza.

Halak shut the door in the third period with nine saves, and the hosts withstood a pair of Predators power-play chances to post the win.

Game Notes

St. Louis won three of four meetings with Nashville last season and have taken six of the last seven contests since February of 2012 ... Derek Roy netted the primary assist on Steen's score, his first point with the Blues after signing as a free agent in the offseason ... Predators defenseman Seth Jones, the fourth-overall selection in June's draft, made his NHL debut with a plus-two rating in 18:35 of ice time.