Blues ride first-period eruption to 7-4 win over Predators

During a 7-4 win over Nashville on Friday night, the Blues continued an offensive breakthrough that began in their last game before the Christmas break, on Monday in Detroit. Six Blues players scored goals as the team set a season-high with seven goals.

Robert Thomas (two goals), Cam Fowler (one goal, two assists), Jordan Kyrou (one goal, one assist) and Dylan Holloway (two assists) each had a multi-point night for the Blues.

They held a two-goal lead at five different junctures of Friday’s game, but Nashville cut it to one four times, including when Jonathan Marchessault’s power-play goal at 11:00 in the third period cut the Blues’ lead to 5-4.

But Thomas scored on the power play with 4:50 remaining in the period to restore a two-goal cushion and seal the game. Colton Parayko added a bank shot empty-netter while shorthanded with 1:15 left in the game.

The Blues host the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday afternoon before Tuesday’s Winter Classic against the Blackhawks at Wrigley Field.

An offensive explosion

By scoring four times in the first period on Friday night, the Blues set a season-high for goals in a period. They had scored three goals in a period six times this season.

It was the most goals scored in a period by the Blues on Friday since the first period of an April 10 game against Chicago, and as many goals as they scored in their previous six first periods combined.

The six total goals scored by St. Louis and Nashville were the most scored in a period in a Blues game this season.

Thomas scored just 80 seconds into the game, picking his spot in transition after picking off an ill-timed pass from Gustav Nyquist back into his own zone. Thomas evaded a falling Brady Skjei and then beat Juuse Saros with a blocker-side shot to make it 1-0.

Zack Bolduc pumped the lead to 2-0 for the Blues just 1:27 after Thomas scored, whipping a shot from one knee at the top of the circle past a Nashville defender and past Saros. It was Bolduc’s fifth goal of the season, all of them coming in the last 15 games since Jim Montgomery took over as Blues coach.

Nashville’s Mark Jankowski cut the lead in half with a goal on a net-front scramble just four seconds after Kyrou’s holding penalty expired. Kyrou redeemed himself at 9:57 of the first when his turnaround shot from the slot found the back of the net to give the Blues a 3-1 lead.

Steven Stamkos scored for Nashville on a power play with 6:43 remaining in the first, then Fowler scored his first goal as a Blue by kissing the post with 1:55 remaining to send them into the first intermission with a 4-2 lead.

Feeling generous

Each team scored an unassisted goal in the second period as the Blues went into second intermission with a 5-3 lead.

Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg scored at 5:31 of the second, picking off Philip Broberg’s attempted chip out of the zone, evading a Kyrou check and then holding Brayden Schenn on his hip as he took the puck to the net.

Broberg himself scored at 15:29, when Saros shoveled a dump-in directly to a driving Broberg at the dot. Broberg snapped a shot to the far corner for his third of the season.

Saros was pulled for Justus Annunen after allowing Broberg’s goal.

Neighbours hit again

It wasn’t just the goals providing the fireworks in the first period, as Tyler Tucker fought Nashville defenseman Jeremy Lauzon at 13:21 of the period, immediately after Stamkos’ goal. Tucker was standing up for teammate Jake Neighbours, who was boarded by Lauzon earlier in the period.

Lauzon was assessed a boarding minor for the hit on Neighbours. It was initially called a major on the ice, but bumped down to a minor after it was reviewed by the on-ice officials.

The hit was the latest on Neighbours, who seems to have turned into a royal and navy pinata this season. Last week in Florida, Neighbours was the victim of Sam Bennett’s hit along the boards in the third period, a play that went unpenalized on the ice and undisciplined by the Department of Player Safety after that.

On Dec. 17, Neighbours was tripped and pushed into the boards in the neutral zone by New Jersey’s Jonas Siegenthaler. Siegenthaler was not called for a penalty, but drew the ire of some Blues players such as Pavel Buchnevich and Brayden Schenn.

Even farther back, on Nov. 25 in New York, Neighbours was hit in front of the Blues bench by Rangers forward Matt Rempe with the puck two zones away. Rempe was called for roughing, but not disciplined by the Department of Player Safety.

The fight was Tucker’s first of the season in his third NHL game of the season.

Blues 7, Predators 4

Nashville 2 1 1 — 4

St. Louis 4 1 2 — 7

First Period—1, St. Louis, Thomas 7, 1:20. 2, St. Louis, Bolduc 5 (Sundqvist, Faulk), 2:47. 3, Nashville, Jankowski 3 (Sissons, McCarron), 5:42. 4, St. Louis, Kyrou 15 (Holloway, Fowler), 9:57. 5, Nashville, Stamkos 11 (Marchessault, O’Reilly), 13:17 (pp). 6, St. Louis, Fowler 1 (Holloway), 18:05. Penalties—Kyrou, STL (Holding), 3:38; Lauzon, NSH (Boarding), 10:46; Fowler, STL (Holding), 11:50; Lauzon, NSH (Fighting), 13:21; Tucker, STL (Fighting), 13:21; Wilsby, NSH (Holding), 16:05.

Second Period—7, Nashville, Blankenburg 2, 5:31. 8, St. Louis, Broberg 3, 15:29. Penalties—Josi, NSH (Holding), 19:38.

Third Period—9, Nashville, Marchessault 13 (Forsberg, Stamkos), 11:00 (pp). 10, St. Louis, Thomas 8 (Kyrou, Fowler), 15:10 (pp). 11, St. Louis, Parayko 6, 18:45 (en). Penalties—Joseph, STL (Tripping), 9:52; Tucker, STL (Cross Checking), 13:43; Jankowski, NSH (Roughing), 13:43; Blankenburg, NSH (Hooking), 14:16; Faulk, STL (Tripping), 18:36.

Shots on Goal—Nashville 10-8-12—30. St. Louis 11-9-9—29.

Power-play opportunities—Nashville 2 of 4; St. Louis 1 of 4.

Goalies—Nashville, Saros 8-15-6 (15 shots-10 saves), Nashville, Annunen 8-5-0 (13-12). St. Louis, Hofer 8-3-1 (30-26).

A—18,096 (18,096).