NASHVILLE, Tenn. — History was made in Bridgestone Arena on Sunday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — History was made in Bridgestone Arena on Sunday.
Ryan Johansen’s tie-breaking goal at 3: 15 of the third period lifted the Nashville Predators to a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues and a 4-2 series victory, advancing them to the Western Conference finals for the first time in the franchise’s 19-year history.
It was the second marker of the playoffs for Johansen, who took Viktor Arvidsson’s feed in the slot, deked from forehand to backhand and beat Jake Allen for the biggest goal in Predators’ history, giving the home side a 2-1 advantage.
Calle Jarnkrok sealed it with an empty-net marker at 19: 00, making him Nashville’s 14th different goal-scorer of the playoffs.
Goalie Pekka Rinne and the Predators’ defense made the lead stick. Rinne made 23 saves, none bigger than his pad stop on Kyle Brodziak at the goalmouth about halfway through the third period. Rinne has permitted just 14 goals in 10 games in the playoffs.
St. Louis, which controlled play for most of Friday night’s 2-1 win in Game 5, replicated that formula at the start of this one. Paul Stastny initiated scoring at 2: 04 of the first period, poking home the rebound of a Vladimir Tarasenko shot for his second goal of the playoffs.
The Blues put seven shots on Rinne in the first 3: 20 and limited the Predators to five shots on net in the first period, taking a 1-0 lead to the locker room.
But Nashville needed just 35 seconds of the second period to equalize. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm teed up Roman Josi with a cross-ice pass at the right circle and Josi snapped a wrister by Allen for his fourth postseason tally.
Allen didn’t see many shots on net, with just 15 saves, but made three stops on breakaways by Filip Forsberg, Austin Watson and Colton Sissons in the third period to keep St. Louis in contention.
NOTES: St. Louis RW Alexander Steen (foot) returned to the lineup after missing Game 5 and started on a line with LW Dmitrij Jaskin and C Patrik Berglund. … Nashville RW Craig Smith drew back into the lineup after missing the last six games with an undisclosed injury. … Other Blues scratches were D Jordan Schmaltz, G Luke Opilka, C Ivan Barbashev, LW Magnus Paajarvi, RW Nail Yakupov and LW Zach Sanford. … The Predators scratched D Anthony Bitetto, RW PA Parenteau, RW Miikka Salomaki, D Brad Hunt, C Frederick Gaudreau, G Marek Mazanec, LW Pontus Aberg and LW Harry Zolnierczyk.
