It was a hard fought battle in St. Louis as both team went back and forth to gain an advantage in the Central Divsion.
The Blues got on the scoreboard with a goal from Dmitrij Jaskin. The goal was challenged by the Predators but was upheld. That lead didn’t last too long though as Mattias Ekholm scored a shorthanded goal to tie things back up.
What started off as a slow period, the Blues scored another by Robby Fabbri to give them a one goal lead. Besides that goal, it was a pretty uneventful second period. The game went into the third with the Blues leading the Preds by one goal.
Kevin Shattenkirk gave the Blues a two goal lead early in the third period on a slap shot coming into the zone. It took a while, but Shea Weber pulled the Preds within one goal late in the third. Colin Wilson then scored to tie it up shortly after the Weber goal.
In the end, Alexander Steen won the game in overtime for St. Louis.
Random Observations
- Roman Josi to the rescue early on in the first period. Carter Hutton was beat on the wrap around, but Josi bailed him out. If he doesn’t get some serious Norris trophy consideration, we all need to riot! Okay, maybe not riot, a really aggressively mean letter to the voters might work too. On a side note, props to Hutton for making the save after Josi broke up the wrap around.
- That challenge by Laviolette was a close one. Could have gone either way. It’s unfortunate that it was a good goal.
- Special teams for the Predators has played well the past couple of games. Tonight they got a shorthanded goal to tie the game up.
- Hutton played well in the first even after giving up a goal. I was worried that would possibly shake his confidence, but it didn’t. It also didn’t hurt that the Preds’ tied the game up at a crucial part of the game. They were down a man, and going down two goals to the Blues is no easy task to come back from.
- Man when it rains it pours I guess. The Blues scored to take the lead again, and then Ryan Ellis gets called for a penalty immediately after. Not a good series of events by the Predators.
- That second period was so much frustration built up into a ball. The Predators had two opportunities on the man advantage and could not convert.
- Jake Allen has just owned the Preds this season. Even the puck that just set in the paint couldn’t get knocked in.
- I know that Shattenkirk goal was slightly deflected, but that should still be a goal that Hutton has to stop in the last period of the game.
- The Predators couldn’t buy a goal in the third period around the seven minute mark. Allen stood on his head to make some amazing saves. It is hard to believe that a goal wasn’t scored.
- Scratch everything I said leading up to this bullet point. The hockey Gods finally looked the way of Nashville for once.
- Holy Hutton! Saves for days!
- Damn…….
OTF’s Super Duper Stars of the Game
- Shea Weber: He scored a big time goal at the end of the game.
- Colin Wilson: Man the Preds wish they can get this Colin Wilson going forward for the rest of the season.
- Mattias Ekholm: Another one of the goal scorers tonight. /
Tweets Of The Night
Accurate representation of me when Ekholm scored pic.twitter.com/wNR9UQSG0x
— SmashvilleProud (@SmashvilleProud) December 30, 2015
I think the best thing about this intermission report is that it’s without Mike Milbury
— Kristopher Martel (@kmartel_sports) December 30, 2015
Ribs really tried to get his semi-regular late game major there
— J.R. Lind (@jrlind) December 30, 2015
Boxscore – Game Summary – Event Summary – War-on-Ice – HockeyStats – Natural Stat Trick
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