Do or die.An outstanding week has given the Nashville Predators a little breathing room heading into the regular season’s stretch run.
The St. Louis Blues are well aware that they don’t have any such luxury.
The Predators look to extend a five-game winning streak Sunday as they face a Blues team that continues to make a strong last-ditch postseason push.
Nashville (41-26-5) failed to make the postseason last year, and begin play in fifth place in the Western Conference. The Predators hold just a four-point lead, though, ahead of Central Division rival Detroit in eighth.
They’re also coming off a key win as Cody Franson scored 1:54 into overtime for a 1-0 victory over Columbus on Saturday night. Three of the rookie defenseman’s six goals have been game-winners.
That helped Pekka Rinne, who made 33 saves, earn his sixth shutout. Rinne has posted shutouts in three of his last five wins and hasn’t allowed a goal over the last 132 minutes, 36 seconds.
“He’s been really sharp,” coach Barry Trotz said. “He’s doing a good job. He’s moving, his hands have been good, he’s been seeing the puck, and obviously playing very well for us.”
Though Rinne might be due for a rest, the Predators may want to send him out again. He’s 4-2-1 with a 2.39 goals-against average in seven games against St. Louis (33-28-9).
The Blues didn’t need much production to win their last game, getting a goal from Alexander Steen and 29 saves from Ty Conklin in a 1-0 win over New Jersey on Saturday.
St. Louis, which has won nine of 12, is six points behind Detroit with 11 games remaining.
“We know where we’re at,” said Conklin, who has four shutouts and 10 wins in 23 games. “We have to win the majority of our games.”
Conklin has given St. Louis a boost, making two straight starts in place of struggling Chris Mason. Conklin stopped 26 shots in a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Thursday.
“It’s amazing what he’s able to do,” coach Davis Payne said. “He’d been on the bench for a while and all of a sudden, he was thrown into the fire. To perform like that takes a guy with great focus and a great amount of intensity.”
But Conklin, 4-3-1 with a 3.19 GAA in 10 games including eight starts against the Predators, may find himself on the bench due to the quick turnaround.
Mason has a 6.06 GAA over his last two games, but he’s 3-2-2 with a 1.66 GAA in seven starts against the Predators.
Steen, who missed 14 games earlier this season due to a broken right wrist, continues to play a significant role in the keeping the Blues’ postseason hopes alive. The fifth-year center has 10 goals and eight assists in his last 18 games.
Despite being limited to 57 games, Steen has set a career high with 21 goals in his first full season with St. Louis.
He had a goal and an assist in St. Louis’ 4-3 loss to Nashville on Dec. 29, the teams’ last meeting. The Predators are 2-1-0 versus the Blues this season and 16-6-3 against them since the 2005-06 season.
GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Moderator: LGB Mods
GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
From Yahoo Sports:
-
- Hockey God
- Posts: 11410
- Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2003 8:02 am
- Location: Long Island, NY
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Conks in net, Blues 3 Preds 1
Mason in net, Preds 5 Blues 1, Conks in net by the start of the 2nd period.
Mason in net, Preds 5 Blues 1, Conks in net by the start of the 2nd period.
Sponsor of Joel "Future" HOFer 2023-2024
- drwoland
- All-Star
- Posts: 2091
- Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 2:18 pm
- Location: Having a stroke in FlashChat
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Mason will be in net. And we will win. 5-0 BLUES! BUHLEEEE DAT!!
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Hmm the Calgary Flamers are at the Wild plus Anaheim, Dallas are playing tonight could be a good day for separation from the lower teams and getting closer to those flamers and
- WaukeeBlues
- Hockey God
- Posts: 6163
- Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2007 3:00 pm
- Location: Phi Alpha
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Blues 3
Preds 2
Last minute desperation hockey once again.
Official 2021-2022 LGB Sponsor of Torey Krug
Official 2021 LGB Sponsor of Brayden Schenn
Official 2018-2019 LGB Sponsor of Jaden Schwartz
2018 LGB Playoff Challenge Champ
Official 2017-2018 LGB Sponsor of Vladimir Tarasenko
Official 2016-2017 LGB Sponsor of Scottie Upshall
Official 2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Kevin Shattenkirk
Official 2021 LGB Sponsor of Brayden Schenn
Official 2018-2019 LGB Sponsor of Jaden Schwartz
2018 LGB Playoff Challenge Champ
Official 2017-2018 LGB Sponsor of Vladimir Tarasenko
Official 2016-2017 LGB Sponsor of Scottie Upshall
Official 2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Kevin Shattenkirk
-
- LGB Booster - Yellow
- Posts: 1886
- Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2003 9:02 pm
- Location: In Fargo, eh?
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Note 3
Hockeytonk Sallies 2
Hockeytonk Sallies 2
Official LGB Sponsor of Bernie Federko's Stonewashed Jeans, Custom Cabinets, and cold Busch Light.
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Keep winning and I guess you never know.
LETS GO BLUES RADIO
LIVE weekly broadcasts on YouTube & http://www.LetsGoBlues.com/radio!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/curtprice
Lets Go Blues Radio Twitter: https://twitter.com/lgbradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cprice12/
Lets Go Blues Radio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lgbradio/
LIVE weekly broadcasts on YouTube & http://www.LetsGoBlues.com/radio!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/curtprice
Lets Go Blues Radio Twitter: https://twitter.com/lgbradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cprice12/
Lets Go Blues Radio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lgbradio/
- philco_3
- All-Star
- Posts: 2297
- Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2007 7:43 pm
- Location: Red Bud, IL and Section 307 Row M
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Predators 7-4
2009-2010 LGB Official Sponsor of Roman Polak
2010-2011 LGB Official Sponsor of the Brad Boyes 2011 2nd round draft pick.
2011-2012 LGB Official Sponsor of "The Russian" Evgeny Grachev
2013 LGB Official Sponsor of David Perron
2013-2014 LGB Official Sponsor of Jay Bouwmeester
9-7-11 We Will Never Forget.
2010-2011 LGB Official Sponsor of the Brad Boyes 2011 2nd round draft pick.
2011-2012 LGB Official Sponsor of "The Russian" Evgeny Grachev
2013 LGB Official Sponsor of David Perron
2013-2014 LGB Official Sponsor of Jay Bouwmeester
9-7-11 We Will Never Forget.
-
- LGB Booster - Yellow
- Posts: 1886
- Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2003 9:02 pm
- Location: In Fargo, eh?
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Official LGB Sponsor of Bernie Federko's Stonewashed Jeans, Custom Cabinets, and cold Busch Light.
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Auger...
Official President of the 2011-2012 Sponsorship Committee of the honorable Alex Pietrangelo
- Nyghtewynd
- LGB Booster - Yellow
- Posts: 4559
- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2003 1:41 am
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Why in the world are we bunkering when we're only up 1 in the 3rd?
Sponsor of Having A Real Good Time, Happy Pony, and all those who suffer from being right all the time.dhabums wrote:You and your buddies here are a joke and most of this site knows it.
- Nyghtewynd
- LGB Booster - Yellow
- Posts: 4559
- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2003 1:41 am
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Great strategy, Murray errrr Payne. Absolutely terrible.
Sponsor of Having A Real Good Time, Happy Pony, and all those who suffer from being right all the time.dhabums wrote:You and your buddies here are a joke and most of this site knows it.
- Krigloch the Furious
- All-Star
- Posts: 1753
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 12:58 pm
- Location: Springfield, IL
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
God damn this team is bad.
- Nyghtewynd
- LGB Booster - Yellow
- Posts: 4559
- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2003 1:41 am
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Wow...just wow. I hate this team. And I'm stupid enough to fall for it every bloody time.
Sponsor of Having A Real Good Time, Happy Pony, and all those who suffer from being right all the time.dhabums wrote:You and your buddies here are a joke and most of this site knows it.
- Nyghtewynd
- LGB Booster - Yellow
- Posts: 4559
- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2003 1:41 am
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Story of the season.
Stop fighting, losers. You obviously don't care. Stop pretending.
I don't understand why they fans are so sad. You just paid full price for a terrible team to blow a late lead, BUT YOU GOT A FREE HOT DOG!!111!!111!
Stop fighting, losers. You obviously don't care. Stop pretending.
I don't understand why they fans are so sad. You just paid full price for a terrible team to blow a late lead, BUT YOU GOT A FREE HOT DOG!!111!!111!
Sponsor of Having A Real Good Time, Happy Pony, and all those who suffer from being right all the time.dhabums wrote:You and your buddies here are a joke and most of this site knows it.
- Krigloch the Furious
- All-Star
- Posts: 1753
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 12:58 pm
- Location: Springfield, IL
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
And that's exactly why I care about the ncaa tournament more than shitty Blues hockey.
- drwoland
- All-Star
- Posts: 2091
- Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 2:18 pm
- Location: Having a stroke in FlashChat
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
What a joke.
- dmiles2186
- Hockey God
- Posts: 7288
- Joined: Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:29 am
- Location: Selling Air Bombays--for kids who want to coach
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
Kerber's Twitter:
Story of the gull darn season right there. Awful. If we would have won even half the games we crapped late in the 3rd period this year, Detroit would be chasing us.chriskerber
Erat said in our p-game int that after the Blues scored to make it 2-1 they just started playing too much defense so we kept coming after it
2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Not Ott, because he is a booger-eating dumb dumb
- Nyghtewynd
- LGB Booster - Yellow
- Posts: 4559
- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2003 1:41 am
- Location: St. Louis, MO
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
If, as he said, that was a coaching decision, then not only should Payne not be the Blues coach next year, I don't want him at Peoria either.
Sponsor of Having A Real Good Time, Happy Pony, and all those who suffer from being right all the time.dhabums wrote:You and your buddies here are a joke and most of this site knows it.
- WaukeeBlues
- Hockey God
- Posts: 6163
- Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2007 3:00 pm
- Location: Phi Alpha
Re: GDT: Predators @ Blues, 21 Mar 2010, 5 PM CDT
I think we lost because Nashville scored more goals than we did...
Official 2021-2022 LGB Sponsor of Torey Krug
Official 2021 LGB Sponsor of Brayden Schenn
Official 2018-2019 LGB Sponsor of Jaden Schwartz
2018 LGB Playoff Challenge Champ
Official 2017-2018 LGB Sponsor of Vladimir Tarasenko
Official 2016-2017 LGB Sponsor of Scottie Upshall
Official 2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Kevin Shattenkirk
Official 2021 LGB Sponsor of Brayden Schenn
Official 2018-2019 LGB Sponsor of Jaden Schwartz
2018 LGB Playoff Challenge Champ
Official 2017-2018 LGB Sponsor of Vladimir Tarasenko
Official 2016-2017 LGB Sponsor of Scottie Upshall
Official 2015-2016 LGB Sponsor of Kevin Shattenkirk