Rinne stops 33 shots in Predators' 2-0 win over Blues
ST. LOUIS -- Pekka Rinne made an early goal by Ryan Johansen stand up to give the Nashville Predators a 2-0 win Friday night over the St. Louis Blues.
Rinne stopped 33 shots in earning his second shutout of the season and 45th of his career as the Predators won their fourth game in a row and improved to 9-1 in their last 10 games.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Blues, who were playing their first game against a Central Division opponent since Oct. 19. It was the first game between the Blues and Predators, who defeated St. Louis in the playoffs last season en route to reaching the Stanley Cup final.
The Blues failed to take advantage of three power-play chances in the first two periods, which has been a problem all season. Despite having the best record in the Western Conference, the Blues came into the game ranked 24th in the league on the power play.
Facing former Nashville backup goalie Carter Hutton, the Predators scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game until the closing seconds just 2:32 into the first period. Johansen scored his third goal of the year, beating Hutton with a shot from the slot after a pass from Filip Forsberg.
Austin Watson scored an empty net goal with 48 seconds to play.
Hutton stopped 26 of 27 Predators shots but fell to 0-2 in four career games against his former team and suffered his first loss of the season in five starts.
The Blues' Brayden Schenn had his career-high point-scoring streak snapped at eight games.
NOTES: RW Austin Watson returned to the Predators lineup after serving a two-game suspension, the result of a boarding penalty against Colorado's Dominic Toninato on Nov. 18. ... The Blues recalled RW Sammy Blais from San Antonio of the AHL but he was a healthy scratch. Blais could be in the lineup on Saturday night when the Blues host the Minnesota Wild. Regular goalie Jake Allen is scheduled to start for the Blues. ... This is the annual Father's trip for the Predators, who play at Carolina on Sunday.