ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Vying for one of the last playoff spots in the
Western Conference, the Nashville Predators know they need to get
all the points they can.
The Predators trailed by three goals just 7 minutes in, replaced
their starting goalie and then pulled off an improbable comeback
capped by Rich Peverley's overtime goal to beat the St. Louis Blues
4-3 on Tuesday night.
``This is a tremendous two points,'' Peverley said. ``We can't
afford to lose any of these games. We need to get two points as
many times as we can. It was a big character builder because we
knew we could come back and win. We have to carry that into the
next game.''
Nashville, which began the night one point behind Vancouver for
the conference's eighth and final playoff berth, was on the verge
of a disastrous loss to the team that stands second to last in the
West. However, after the Predators replaced Dan Ellis with Chris
Mason, Nashville completed got goals from Brandon Bochenski, Jordin
Tootoo and Vernon Fiddler.
Peverley was able to deke into the left circle and beat Blues
goalie Hannu Toivonen with a wrist shot. The Predators jumped to
the ice in a frenzy to congratulate Peverley, who along with
Bochenski and Tootoo accounted for six points as Nashville's fourth
line.
Andy McDonald, David Perron and Jamal Mayers scored for the
Blues, who each scored in the first 6:46.
``It's kind of the way that the second half of our season has
gone,'' St. Louis coach Andy Murray said after his team dropped to
3-14-3 in its last 20 games. ``The first 41 games, we close that
game out with a win. We don't give up any chances, we continue to
pressure and forecheck and play hard. The first thing we said when
they came in after the first was outwork a hard-working team.''
The Predators appeared to get the message when coach Barry Trotz
called a timeout after the Blues' third goal, at which time he
pulled Ellis in favor of Mason.
``After they got the third goal, we sort of said, 'That's it. We
can't let them have any more. We've just have to chip away. We've
got to get out of this period,''' Trotz said. ``The boys really
battled. We just rolled four lines.''
McDonald got his 18th of the season 1:40 into the game, knocking
in a behind-the-net feed from Perron from just inside the left
circle. Mayers made it 2-0 on a blast from just inside the right
circle, beating Ellis high stick side after receiving Barret
Jackman's cross ice feed at 4:50. Perron made it 3-0 after
converting McDonald's pass after a 2-on-1 at 6:46.
After sending seven shots at Ellis, St. Louis managed only nine
the rest of the way against Mason.
``We knew that they would raise the level of their game and we
would need to raise the level of our game,'' Murray said. ``It's
been a situation here in the last half of the season when that
challenge has been there, we haven't gotten it done.''
As good as it was for the Blues after one period, it took a turn
for the worse when goalie Manny Legace stopped all eight shots he
faced in the opening period, then was replaced by Toivonen at the
beginning of the second after sustaining a hip flexor.
Bochenski got the Predators' comeback going at 6:06 of the
second period, beating Toivonen with a wrist shot from the high
slot for the only score of the period.
Tootoo's 11th goal of the season cut St. Louis' lead to 3-2 just
1:53 into the third period on a slap shot from just outside the
left circle.
Toivonen preserved the lead with two point-blank saves on Vernon
Fiddler, including a dazzling glove save with 13:22 to play.
However, the Predators tied it with 6:32 to play when Fiddler stole
a puck at the side of the Blues' goal from Keith Tkachuk, skated
around the net and roofed a puck over Toivonen's shoulder at the
near post.
``I'm not playing good enough. That's what it is,'' Toivonen
said. ``Some saves you've got to make and if you don't make them,
you can't win.''
Seconds after Fiddler's tying goal, the Blues thought they had
regained the lead when Jay McKee's shot from the left point got
past Mason, but the goal was waved off when it was ruled Perron
interfered with Mason in the crease. It appeared that Perron was
taken down in the crease by Nashville's Marek Zidlicky.
Notes: Blues F Paul Kariya played in his 900th career game
Tuesday. ... Nashville F Scott Nichol has four goals and five
assists against St. Louis this season, or half of his season total
of 18 points. ... The teams will meet for the eighth and final time
Thursday in Nashville. The Predators hold the season series lead at
4-3. St. Louis Rams wide receiver Torry Holt and his son were in
attendance.
