Playoff Roundup: Predators edge past Blues to take wild Round 2 opener

By Sports Illustrated and Devon Heinen/Sports Illustrated
Published

A late third-period goal from Vernon Fiddler and P.K. Subban's three-point outburst helped fuel the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 road victory Wednesday night against the St. Louis Blues to open the second-round series of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Colin Wilson opened the scorebook for the Preds at 11:24 in the first period. Subban sent a slap shot toward the net where Wilson was camped out in front of St. Louis goalie Jake Allen. Wilson got his stick on the puck and was able to deflect it into the net for the power play goal.

Subban recorded his first goal of the playoffs to give Nashville a 2-0 lead early in second period after the game was delayed for almost 20 minutes. Play was stopped 1:46 into the period after St. Louis defenseman Robert Bortuzzo checked Nashville's Kevin Fiala deep in St. Louis's defensive zone. Fiala crashed into the boards and didn't get up. He was stretchered off the ice and taken to a local hospital. The team announced he was "alert and in stable condition."

Filip Forsberg redirected another blast from Subban for Nashville's second power play goal of the game, the tally making it it 3-1 in favor of the visitors came at 12:11 in the second period.

Nashville's lead began to melt away 6:48 into the third thanks to a goal from St. Louis's Jaden Schwartz. Vladimir Sobotka banked the puck off the pipe and into the net for a short-side goal less than three minutes later to even the score at three. Fiddler's strike with 5:05 remaining in regulation proved to be the game-winner for the Predators, who stole home-ice advantage with the win.

Game 2 is set for Friday in St. Louis.

Full recap | Box score | Highlights

Here’s a look at the other half of Wednesday's second-round action.

Oilers 5, Ducks 3 | EDM leads 1-0

Adam Larsson's second goal of the third period lifted the visiting Edmonton Oilers to a Game 1 victory against the Anaheim Ducks.

Larsson's game-winner with 4:40 remaining was one of six goals scored in the final period. Four of those came in a crazy 4:24 stretch. Oilers Mark Letestu and Larsson struck first in that span, turning a 1-1 score into a 3-1 Edmonton lead. Then, it was Anaheim's turn to knot things back up. Goals from Patrick Eaves and Jakob Silfverberg knotted things at three apiece before Larsson's second. An insurance goal from Leon Draisaitl finished the win off for the visiting Oilers.

Anaheim hosts Game 2 Friday night.

Full recap | Box score | Highlights

Andrej Sekera tries to catch John Gibson going one way, but the Ducks' goalie is savvy to his tricks.

I mean, this is certainly one way to stop the puck. Gibson took a page out of Henrik Lundqvist's book, using his head—literally—to make this save. 

 

3. Mark Letestu (EDM) Letestu tallied two power play goals Wednesday night in the Edmonton Oilers' 5-3 road win against the Anaheim Ducks.

2. P.K. Subban (NSH) Subban (1g, 2a) put on an offensive show Wednesday night in Nashville's 4-3 win against the St. Louis Blues. His goal was his first of the playoffs, and put him just two goals behind the combined total Chicago tallied as a team before getting eliminated back in the first round against Subban's Predators.

1. Adam Larsson (EDM) Two third-period goals, including the game-winner? Not a bad night for the Oilers' defensman.