Blues at Predators
The Nashville Predators continue to get strong production from their talented defense corps as they plow through the playoffs and can take control of their Western Conference second-round series when they host the St. Louis Blues for Game 4 on Tuesday. The Predators have received seven goals and 14 assists from their blue-liners in the first seven contests of the postseason, with Ryan Ellis riding a six-game point streak.
“We stress how everyone has to be active,” Ellis told The Tennessean after Nashville took a 2-1 series lead with a 3-1 victory on Sunday. “It’s a five-man game out there. We can’t watch the forwards do everything. The (defense) has to get up and do its part.” The Blues will have to find a way to combat the Predators' versatile offense after being outshot 34-23 in Game 3 as Alex Steen scored their only goal in the second period, when they managed just four shots. Vladimir Tarasenko, who scored twice in a Game 2 victory, was limited to three shots on Sunday. “You play seven games for a reason,” Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo told reporters. “Down one game, but we’ve got a couple days here to get some rest and take a hard look in the mirror to get better.”
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVA
ABOUT THE BLUES: Coach Mike Yeo made some line changes at practice Monday after stating his team was not competitive enough in Game 3. “I feel like we’re chasing the game way too much,” defenseman Joel Edmundson told reporters. “We’re waiting for something to happen when we should be dictating it.” Yeo moved center Jori Lehtera between Tarasenko (team-high 32 shots) and Jaden Schwartz (team-best seven points) while Paul Stastny reportedly centered Steen and Vladimir Sobotka at Monday’s skate.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS: Ellis has tallied in back-to-back games and has three goals in the postseason to go along with five assists, while P.K. Subban (six points) and Roman Josi (three goals, five points) also have made big contributions. “We have great forwards that have the skill level to make a play, make a fake and then find our defensemen when they are open,” Subban told reporters. “We have to continue to do that.” Forwards Ryan Johansen and Filip Forsberg have added seven points apiece while 13 Predators have recorded a goal in the playoffs.
OVERTIME
1. The Blues are just 2-for-22 with the man advantage in the playoffs and have allowed five power-play goals in eight games.
2. Nashville G Pekka Rinne improved to 28-27 in the playoffs with Sunday’s victory and owns a .950 save percentage in 2016-17.
3. Predators C Calle Jarnkrok won 16-of-19 faceoffs in Game 3 as his team won 62 percent of the draws.