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Weber's 3 assists help Predators beat Blues 4-3

Dec 30, 2009 - 5:23 AM ST. LOUIS(AP) -- The Predators scored four goals in a row, and turned out to need every one.

Shea Weber assisted on three of the goals and the Predators held off the St. Louis Blues 4-3 Tuesday night.

"You knew they were going to have a big push because we were outskating them, they took some poor penalties and some really aggressive penalties and we capitalized on them," Predators coach Barry Trotz said. "I'm sure they got scolded a little bit and they have a lot of pride. They're-well coached and they have a lot of good players over there that really bear down and tried to get back in the game."

Marcel Goc, Patric Hornqvist, Joel Ward and J.P. Dumont all scored for the Predators, who are 24-6-3 against St. Louis since 2005-06.

The Blues, who got a goal and an assist from Alex Steen and goals from Carlo Colaiacovo and Andy McDonald, own the league's worst home record at 6-13-2. They've lost seven of their last eight at home.

Pekka Rinne stopped 24 shots for the Predators.

"They kept coming and coming you know you have to give credit to those guys," Rinne said. "They played hard, they battled hard to the end, but I think we managed the game really well even though we were under the pressure. Our guys did a great job."

Colaiacovo gave the Blues a 1-0 lead 1:29 into the game, before Goc tied it at 5:04 of the first. Hornqvist made it 2-1 at 12:43.

The Blues were hit with three penalties totaling eight minutes in a span of 1:45 early in the second period and Ward made them pay with a 5-on-3 goal at 4:09.

"It's definitely tough to get momentum killing penalties," said Blues goalie and former Predator Chris Mason. "The first two periods, we could have been a lot better."

Dumont made it 4-1 5:16 into the third after blowing past defenseman Darryl Sydor along the right side and sneaking a shot inside the near post past goalie Chris Mason, who stopped 26 shots.

The Blues made a charge with Steen's score at 9:08 of the third and McDonald got a power-play goal at 12:30.

"It was intense," Weber said. "There were body checks, guys sticking up for each other, a good flow both ways. They came back, we had the momentum early. They got it back in the third period and made it close."

NOTES: Steen has three goals in two games and nine points in the last six games. ... Blues D Erik Johnson, the top overall pick of the 2006 draft, was a healthy scratch. ... Blues LW Paul Kariya missed the game with an upper-body injury. Kariya took an elbow to the head in the first period during Sunday's 5-3 loss to Buffalo. ... Predators RW Martin Erat has 10 goals in 13 games after beginning the season with four in 24 games. ... Nashville C Jason Arnott has 17 points in 20 games.