Nashville Predators At St. Louis Blues: Blues Drop Opener 4-2

Getting 33 shots on goal against a very defensively sound Nashville Predators team is a major achievement. The Blues didn’t fail in effort, but they certainly failed in getting any pucks behind Nashville’s star goaltender Pekka Rinne. Rinne had an absolutely masterful performance tonight, stopping many flurries of Blues activity around him and flashing the glove more than once on saves that caused Blues’ broadcaster Darren Pang to exclaim “he could catch a pea through the fog.”

A questionable delay of game penalty on Chris Stewart (Stewart shot the puck into the bench and Davis Payne caught it possibly above the glass) led to a wonky goal by David Legwand to give the Predators a 2-1 lead on the Blues. It looked as though the puck bounced off of Nikita Nikitin’s skate blade, and this would be the first of two odd goals Nikitin would figure in.

Jason Arnott scored his first goal – a power play goal, shockingly enough for a team that went 1-for-5 on the power play. Just 57 seconds later Kevin Kline gave the Preds their lead back on an odd-angled shot that went in above Halak’s shoulder. It might’ve been difficult for Halak to track the puck considering that Nikitin was standing directly in front of him, screening the goalie.

David Legwand put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal, and the Blues fell at home 4-2. Their 1-5 powerplay and 2-4 penalty kill might want to be addressed, as both special teams looked sloppy and unprepared.

The Blues’ next game is an afternoon matinee game on Monday at 1, when the Calgary Flames come to town.

Nashville Predators At St. Louis Blues: Preds And Blues Knotted 1-1 After Two

A fight between Ryan Reaves and Zach Stortini halfway through the first period has set the tone for this chippy challenge between the Blues and Predators. The score remained tied one-all by virtue of some outstanding saves by Pekka Rinne and some shaky powerplay time by the Blues.

Patrik Berglund scored the first goal of the game at 7:44 of the first period with some evidence that he and TJ Oshie still have some magic left over from last season. A pass from Berglund to Oshie was carried in the direction of behind the net until Oshie unexpectedly passed it back to Berglund, who wristed past Rinne.

Nashville tied the game on a goal from Craig Smith. Shea Weber’s slapshot was saved by Jaroslav Halak, but the rebound wasn’t fully in his control when Smith slipped the puck under Halak’s outstretched arm.

The Blues have had four powerplay opportunities tonight and have whiffed so far on all four. The PP looks hurried, with the unit not taking time to set up shots and passing so much that numerous turnovers are caused in a matter of seconds. Thankfully they’re getting the puck back quickly, but if it doesn’t wind up in the back of the net, what’s the use?

St. Louis Blues Opening Night: Nashville Predators Hoping To Challenge Backes-Led Blues

The puck's finally dropping on the St. Louis Blues' 2011-2012 season. The guys hope to get a jump on their goal of a playoff position.