Final - 2OT
Blues face quick turnaround against Predators
Feb 23, 2012 - 3:42 PM (Sports Network) - Coming off a rare loss at home, the Blues don't have much time to figure out what went wrong. St. Louis gets right back in action tonight and tries to avoid a fifth straight loss to the Nashville Predators.The Blues carried a club-record 21-game home point streak into last night's meeting with the Bruins and got two first-period goals from Chris Stewart and Ryan Reaves to erase an early deficit. However, St. Louis was held off the board for the rest of the way in a 4-2 loss, its first in regulation at home since Dec. 3.
The Blues had been 18-0-3 since that setback and have also dropped two in a row overall for the first time this month. They haven't been handed a defeat in three straight outings since Dec. 27-31.
"We need to find a way to get points," Blues forward David Backes said. "We haven't had this streak of losses very often this year and the quicker we turn it around, the better off we are going to be."
Brian Elliott was shelled for four goals on only 19 shots in defeat, lifting his still NHL-leading goals-against total to 1.65. He is also second in the league with a .937 save percentage.
Elliott was making his fourth straight start, meaning head coach Ken Hitchcock could opt to start Jaroslav Halak tonight. Halak has been slowed as of late by the flu, but dressed last night as the backup.
After falling to 26-4-4 at home on the year, the Blues kick off a six-game road trip this evening and are 10-13-3 as the guest. They'll be looking to hold off a Predators club that trails them by just three points for the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
St. Louis is also taking aim at its first win of the season over division- rival Nashville. The Preds have taken all four encounters this year -- two in a shootout -- and have also won two straight and five of the past seven played in Nashville.
The Predators have also played good hockey at home this year, having posted a 19-7-4 mark thus far on friendly ice and they also have points in nine straight as the host. The Preds are 8-0-1 in that time and kicked off a four- game homestand on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over the Canucks.
Mike Fisher had a power-play goal and assisted on tallies by Sergei Kostitsyn and David Legwand. Pekka Rinne added 32 saves in Nashville's third victory in four games.
"The team's doing well right now. We're in a good spot," Predators forward Craig Smith said.
Martin Erat added two assists in the victory.
- ST. LOUIS: 3
NASHVILLE: 2
Final - 2OT
Feb 23 10:43 PM - ST. LOUIS: 2
NASHVILLE: 2
End of OT
Feb 23 10:38 PM - ST. LOUIS: 2
NASHVILLE: 2
End of Regulation
Feb 23 10:27 PM - ST. LOUIS: 2
NASHVILLE: 2
End of 2nd
Feb 23 9:34 PM - ST. LOUIS: 1
NASHVILLE: 0
End of 1st
Feb 23 8:42 PM - ST. LOUIS: 0
NASHVILLE: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Feb 23 8:08 PM
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