Predators 3, Blues 2
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) -The St. Louis Blues absorbed another home-ice beatdown. This time it was the Nashville Predators delivering the heartache.

Dustin Boyd scored his second goal of the game 48 seconds after teammate Patric Hornqvist tied it late in the third period, helping Nashville rally for a 3-2 victory Sunday night. The Predators have won six and a row, all with Pekka Rinne in goal, and are fifth in the Western Conference with 89 points.

"We showed a lot of character, we showed a lot of poise at the end," Rinne said. "We didn't panic."

Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo had a goal and assist for the Blues, who fell to an NHL-worst 12-18-5 at home with a setback that could be devastating to faint playoff hopes. They were 9-3 in the previous 12 games, but remained six points out of the final Western Conference spot with 10 games to go.

"The bottom line is one team came to play to win, the other team just came to play," Blues goalie Chris Mason said. "End of story."

The Blues had won two straight, winning 1-0 at New Jersey on Saturday night.

"It hurts tremendously," interim coach Davis Payne said. "It stings pretty good."

The Blues entered the night at 22-11-4 on the road, second best in the league. But the Predators handed them their ninth third-period blown lead behind Boyd's first two goals since being acquired on the trade deadline from Calgary.

"Dustin's had a couple games where he's rattled a few off the post," coach Barry Trotz said. "I just kept putting him out there, hoping that sooner or later he's going to break through."

David Perron put the Blues ahead early in the third, swatting in a backhander.

"We got the goal and then we sat back," forward Alex Steen said. "They took it to us."

Rinne's Run
Preds goaltender Pekka Rinne posted a perfect 4-0-0 week. The NHL's Third Star last week, Rinne is in position to earn recognition for a second consecutive week after posting a 1.21 goals against average with two shutouts during this past week, while stopping 115 of 120 shots (.958 save percentage). Rinne posted a 149:04 shutout streak through the heart of the week -- and didn't allow an even-strength score for 180:09.

Over his last six starts, Rinne has been among the league's most dominant goaltenders. The Finnish netminder has turned aside 164 of 171 shots in his last six starts (.959 save percentage) with a 1.14 goals against average, winning five one-goal games in that stretch, including a pair on 1-0 goaltender duals.

Rinne's Last 6 Starts
Mar. 21 - 3-2 W @ STL, 23 saves on 25 shots
Mar. 20 - 1-0 OTW vs. CBJ, 33 save shutout
Mar. 18 - 5-0 W vs. MINN, 17 save shutout
Mar. 16 - 4-3 SOW vs. PHI, 42 saves on 45 shots & stopped all 3 shootout attempts
Mar. 14 - 3-2 W @ LA, 18 saves on 20 shots
Mar. 12 - 1-0 W @ ANA, 31 save shutout

--Jay Levin, NashvillePredators.com

Colaiacovo's power-play goal in the first period ended Rinne's shutout streak at 149:04, including 1-0 victories over Columbus Saturday and 5-0 over Minnesota on Thursday. Rinne made 59 saves before the goal and is 8-1 since the Olympic break.

"He played another unreal game," Boyd said. "It could have been a different game if he isn't back there."

Boyd added his first goal in nine games since being acquired from Calgary on the trade deadline to tie it at 1 late in the second period.

Nashville outshot the Blues 39-25 and carried play much of the final two periods with a combined 29-13 advantage. That made things easier on Rinne.

"We really kicked up the pace," Trotz said. "We were a pretty determined group. We knew this was a game they had to have and we want to put some pressure on the teams that are right ahead of us."

Steen assisted on both St. Louis goals and has 19 points in 19 games.

Hornqvist scored his team-leading 28th goal on a rebound with 3:34 left, and Boyd also converted a rebound with 2:46 remaining after a Blues player diverted the puck to his stick off Martin Erat's centering pass from behind the net.

"I think that was the best period for a long, long time," Hornqvist said. "If we keep working like that, we're going to get lots of points down the stretch."

NOTES: Predators F Jason Arnott (blow to head) and Blues D Roman Polak (shoulder) were among the scratches. Both were injured Saturday. ... Colaiacovo's goal was his fifth of the season and first since Dec. 29, also against Nashville at home. ... The Blues sold out their 28th game on free-food night, with fans helping themselves to hot dogs, chicken fingers, popcorn and soft drinks.


Three star selections
1st:   DUSTIN BOYD
2nd:   T.J. OSHIE
3rd:   PEKKA RINNE
Winning Goaltender
Pekka Rinne

Losing Goaltender
Chris Mason

SCHEDULE

HOME
AWAY
PROMOTIONAL

STANDINGS

WESTERN CONFERENCE
  TEAM GP W L OT GF GA PTS
1 p - CHI 48 36 7 5 155 102 77
2 y - ANA 48 30 12 6 140 118 66
3 y - VAN 48 26 15 7 127 121 59
4 x - STL 48 29 17 2 129 115 60
5 x - LAK 48 27 16 5 133 118 59
6 x - SJS 48 25 16 7 124 116 57
7 x - DET 48 24 16 8 124 115 56
8 x - MIN 48 26 19 3 122 127 55
9 CBJ 48 24 17 7 120 119 55
10 PHX 48 21 18 9 125 131 51
11 DAL 48 22 22 4 130 142 48
12 EDM 48 19 22 7 125 134 45
13 CGY 48 19 25 4 128 160 42
14 NSH 48 16 23 9 111 139 41
15 COL 48 16 25 7 116 152 39

STATS

2012-2013 REGULAR SEASON
SKATERS: GP G A +/- Pts
S. Weber 48 9 19 -2 28
D. Legwand 48 12 13 -6 25
M. Fisher 38 10 11 6 21
C. Wilson 25 7 12 1 19
R. Josi 48 5 13 -7 18
G. Bourque 34 11 5 6 16
S. Kostitsyn 46 3 12 -5 15
P. Hornqvist 24 4 10 -1 14
K. Klein 47 3 11 -1 14
N. Spaling 47 9 4 -10 13
 
GOALIES: W L OT Sv% GAA
P. Rinne 15 16 8 .910 2.43
C. Mason 1 7 1 .873 3.73

 


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