NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) James Neal scored the game-winning goal with 6:57 left, and the Nashville Predators beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1 Tuesday to take a 3-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal.
Pekka Rinne outdueled St. Louis’ Jake Allen with 32 saves, and the Predators are a victory away from reaching the Western Conference final for the first time in franchise history.
Ryan Ellis scored at 5:09 of the third to break up a scoreless game. Neal then scored with 6:57 left to crank up the Nashville celebration as the Predators won their eighth straight playoff game at home.
Joel Edmundson scored with 3:49 left as St. Louis avoided the shutout. Blues coach Mike Yeo pulled Allen late, but they couldn’t beat Rinne again. Allen finished with 23 saves as the Blues lost consecutive road games for the first time since Feb. 28 and March 3.
Game 5 is Friday in St. Louis.
The Predators got the first goal of the game after a scuffle along the boards in front of the Nashville bench put Edmundson and forward Ryan Reaves in the box for roughing along with Predators forward Cody McLeod. The puck bounced around before Ellis scored on a wrister from the edge of the left circle under Allen’s head as the goalie went down.
Ellis tied the franchise record with a point in his seventh straight playoff game.
Just after Ellis’ goal, Predators defenseman P.K. Subban had his helmet knocked off by Edmundson along the side boards, sending him to the locker room. Subban returned later in the period after being called for embellishment along with Edmundson back in the box for roughing at 5:15 of the third.
Allen got help from the crossbar on a shot by Neal and Viktor Arvidsson hit a post. Neal finally scored his second this postseason intercepting the puck, spinning and hitting the top corner with a wrist shot.
That proved to be the game-winning goal after Edmundson scored with a shot from the left circle through two players in front that banked in past Rinne, giving the Blues a chance.
With a late start, the Predators tapped one of their original fans in country star Vince Gill to sing the anthem along with his daughters, and golfer Brandt Snedeker brought the Ryder Cup with him onto the ice before waving a flag to rev up the crowd.
Former Jets and Bills coach Rex Ryan also was in the stands for his second game this series wearing a Predators’ sweater.
This was the first game of this series to go scoreless through the first 40 minutes thanks to dazzling saves by both goalies.
Rinne opened the game easily gloving a shot by Vladimir Sobotka and looked like the goalie who shut out Chicago twice as Nashville swept the Blackhawks in the first round.
He got what appeared to be a helping hand by Ellis in the final seconds of the second period with the Blues on the power play. Ellis blocked a shot from Jaden Schwartz, then Rinne made saves on Alex Pietrangelo and Schwartz in a flurry inside the crease.
Notes: Nashville defensemen have scored a league-leading eight goals this postseason. … The Blues last lost consecutive road games with a three-game skid between Feb. 28 and March 3. They had been 12-2-1 since that skid. … It was just the third regulation loss for Allen on the road in 13 starts away from St. Louis.
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