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Nichols, Weber help Predators overcome Legace, Blues

Feb 17, 2008 - 5:23 AM NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- It took a baseball-like swing and overtime, but the Nashville Predators found a way to defeat All-Star Manny Legace.

Defenseman Shea Weber scored a power-play goal 40 seconds into the extra session, lifting the Predators to a 2-1 triumph over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.

Scott Nichol scored a unique goal midway through the third period and blue-liner Marek Zidlicky recorded two assists for Nashville, which did not allow a shot on goal after the second period.

Trailing, 1-0, and struggling to get the puck past Legace, the Predators finally got the scoreboard at 11:40 of the third.

After Zidlicky kept the puck in the zone by toe-dragging it past a defender at the blue line, Vernon Fiddler fired a shot wide and off the end boards. The puck bounced before it hit the ice, and Nichol swatted the puck out of mid-air.

His attempt beat Legace to the stick side, and despite a brief video review, the goal was upheld. It was the 40th shot of the game faced by Legace.

"I saw the puck go up, and I just skated into it," Nichol said. "It was in a perfect spot, and I just took a whack at it. It was a lucky, but timely, goal."

"I had no idea where it was," Legace said. "I thought it was still behind the net, and he bats it out of the air."

Four of Nichol's eight goals this season have come against St. Louis.

"That's three lucky goals that guy has on me in the last two or three games," Legace said. "He's got my number a little bit."

"I knew if we scored, we were going to win the hockey game," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We just kept throwing pucks at the net, and Blues killer Scotty Nichol got that goal."

With just 27 seconds remaining in the third, St. Louis' Martin Rucinsky committed a hooking penalty, and Nashville capitalized early in overtime.

Weber took a pass from Zidlicky in the high slot and blasted a one-timer over Legace's glove, off the inside of the goalpost and into the net just 40 seconds into the extra session. It was Weber's fourth goal of the season.

"Z made a nice pass, and I was in a pretty prime spot to shoot the puck," Weber said. "We were really applying the pressure and wanted that one badly."

Legace finished with 42 saves.

"Manny was tremendous," St. Louis coach Andy Murray said. "We had some battle in us, but we need some more out of certain players. We need more out of certain forwards, for sure."

Making his Blues debut, Yan Stastny opened the scoring at 15:40 of the first period. Ryan Johnson won a faceoff in the right circle against Nashville's Rich Peverley, and Stastny quickly pounced on the puck and beat goaltender Dan Ellis between the pads with a quick wrist shot.

"I had a little bit more focus on the centermen, he came off the off-wing and was able to dive through there," Ellis said. "It just kind of squeaked through my pads."

Stastny was recalled from Peoria of the American Hockey League on Monday. His only other NHL goal was scored against the Montreal Canadiens on April 13, 2006, when he was a member of the Boston Bruins.

Ellis stopped 18 shots, facing his last one with 2:56 left in the second period.

Nashville was without right wing J.P. Dumont, who was sidelined with a flu-like illness that has been making its way around the team's locker room. Dumont missed his first game since signing with the Predators prior to the start of the 2006-07 season.