Mike Fisher scored the game-winner and added an empty-netter as the Nashville Predators scored six unanswered goals to come back and defeat the St. Louis Blues by a 6-3 final on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena. It’s Nashville’s 10th home victory of the season, pushing their overall record to 13-11-4 and 30 points.
After falling behind 3-0 early in the second stanza, the Preds found their way back to the right side of the ledger, winning for the first time this season after being down after two periods, and doing so in convincing fashion.
“That was a great effort being down like that and coming back,” Fisher said. “We played really well in the second and third period against a great team too – a division rival. That was a big game.”
Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Preds spoke of their intention to come out with a strong start from the opening puck drop. They had their chances early on, but somehow found themselves down by three less than two minutes into the middle frame.
But just over three minutes later, James Neal found the back of the net. And the comeback was on.
“I think when it swung back the other way – and it was clearly evident – was James Neal’s goal just to get us on the board and get us going in the right direction,” Preds Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “From that point, I thought our guys did an excellent job of playing the way we want to play.”
“It’s huge confidence-wise,” forward Colton Sissons said. “We were coming in confident at home with a pretty solid record, but to have a comeback win like that against a team like the St. Louis Blues is huge for us.”
All three members of Nashville’s first line – Neal, Forsberg and Ryan Johansen – scored their team’s first, second and third goals on the night, a strong showing from the newly constructed trio, and just a taste of what can happen if they start to find some chemistry together.
“They were really good,” Laviolette said of the line. “They got going, and they were generating a lot. They spent a lot of time in the offensive zone. We got zone starts that started in our favor. We’re in the offensive zone for faceoffs more – that’s a big thing… They started getting the right zone starts and being put in the right spots, and when they did they were able to capitalize on it.”
It didn’t start the way they planned, but once the Preds got going, so did their fans. Two goals less than three minutes apart brought about a standing ovation – one of many the rest of the night.
It’s not the first time the crowd at Bridgestone Arena has given the home team a much needed boost, and it won’t be the last, but every instance is just as appreciated as the next.
“It was great to get back here,” Laviolette said. “You could tell, not only for us, but even our fans, when Neal’s goal went in, it just brought a whole lot of energy into the building. They really got going. That gets us going as well.”
“It felt like a playoff game,” Johansen said. “During a couple of TV timeouts there, I felt like I needed some earplugs because my ears were getting sore. That’s a lot of fun, that’s what you enjoy so much about playing in the NHL is the atmosphere and coming into your home building and working for your fans. They were definitely a big part of it tonight.”
Notes:
Preds goaltender Pekka Rinne recorded his 250th career victory on Tuesday night, becoming the 51st netminder in NHL history to accomplish the feat.
Craig Smith recorded his 100th career assist on Mike Ribeiro’s goal.
Ryan Ellis and Colton Sissons both returned to the lineup on Tuesday after being activated from Injured Reserve. Ellis was a +3 on the night in 21:57 of ice time and Sissons skated 11:38 with two hits.
Viktor Arvidsson extended his career-high point streak to four games.
The Preds continue their home stand on Thursday night when the Minnesota Wild come to town, followed by the New York Rangers on Saturday.
