Complete effort by Preds leads to 2-1 series lead on Blues
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Playing their best game of the series on Sunday, the Nashville Predators regained control of their Western Conference semifinal with the St. Louis Blues.
Ryan Ellis, Cody McLeod and Roman Josi scored goals while Pekka Rinne made 22 saves as Nashville bagged a 3-1 win at Bridgestone Arena for a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals.
Colton Sissons added two assists for the Predators, including the primary one on Josi's bomb from the blue line at 14:11 of the third period that gave them a two-goal cushion.
Alexander Steen scored the Blues lone goal and Jake Allen made 31 saves. Allen was St. Louis' best player throughout the day, including 17 in a second period where the Blues were outshot 18-4.
Game 4 is Tuesday night in Nashville, with the Predators seeking to move one step closer to their first appearance in the conference finals.
Nashville controlled most of the game, generating a spate of long shifts in the Blues' defensive zone.
Three seconds after its power play ended, Nashville opened scoring at 10:34 of the first period. Ellis ripped a one-timer from 36 feet away by Allen for his third goal of the playoffs, giving him a point in six straight games.
The Predators made it a two-goal lead at 2:29 of the second period with help from the fourth line. McLeod poked a rebound behind Allen for his first goal of this postseason, and his third career playoff marker.
That was one of 15 shots Nashville poured at Allen before St. Louis finally got one on Rinne in the period. That one found the net, as Steen deflected Alex Pietrangelo's wrister from the point at 12:59 for his third playoff tally.
Josi's third-period insurance goal came at the end of a 1:42 shift.
NOTES: Nashville D P.K. Subban had a Montreal restaurant named after him for the playoffs' remainder. Chez Serge is known as Chez Subban until the Predators are eliminated or hoist the Stanley Cup. ... St. Louis did not have to ice its penalty-killing unit in Game 2, the first time it's accomplished that in a playoff game since 1987. ... The Blues scratched RW Dmitrij Jaskin, D Jordan Schmaltz, G Luke Opilka, LW Magnus Paajarvi, RW Nail Yakupov and LW Zach Sanford. ... Predators scratches were D Anthony Bitetto, RW PA Parenteau, RW Craig Smith (injured), D Brad Hunt, C Frederick Gaudreau, G Marek Mazanec, LW Pontus Aberg and C Vernon Fiddler.