NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ The Blues' unexpected playoff run went deep into the second round, but ended Sunday with a 3-1 loss to Nashville at Bridgestone Arena.
The Blues got the all-important first goal of the game, but the Predators responded with two, including the game-winner from a top line that had been silenced throughout the series.
Ryan Johansen put Nashville ahead just 3 minutes 15 seconds into the third period, electrifying the crowd at Bridgestone Arena, that would soon be celebrating the franchise's first trip to the Western Conference finals.
The Predators won the best-of-seven series 4-2, negating the need for a Game 7 at Scottrade Center.
That the Blues were in position for a decisive game in the second round was a bit of a surprise to some who didn't see the club as a playoff contender a couple of months ago.
But a first-round win over Minnesota raised expectations, and those were legitimatized when the Blues kept close with Nashville. The Predators built a 3-1 advantage in the series, but three of the first four games were decided by one goal.
The Blues won another one of those one-goal games Friday, pulling the series to 3-2 and setting the stage for Game 6 on Sunday in Nashville.
But even with injured forward Alexander Steen making his way back into the lineup, the Blues made too many costly penalties and once again their power play was absolutely no help. The unit had just one opportunity Sunday, but failed, falling to one for 15 in the series and two for 30 in the playoffs. A man-advantage goal Sunday, or earlier in the series, could have made the difference in a round of close games.
The difference in Game 6, however, came from Nashville's top line of Johansen, Viktor Arviddson and Filip Forsberg, who had five goals and 15 points in the first-round sweep of Chicago but had been held to just one goal before Sunday.
Then in the third period, Blues' defenseman Colton Parayko pinched on a play that allowed Nashville to come back the other way. Arvidsson's first point of the series was a pinpoint pass to Johansen, who went forehand-backhand to beat goalie Jake Allen.
Allen made several saves the rest of the way to keep the Blues in striking distance, but he was pulled with 1:20 left in regulation and Calle Jarnkrok followed with an empty-netter.
The Blues, who benched David Perron for most of the third period, could generate offense Sunday other than a goal from Paul Stastny. They finished with three goals in three games at Bridgestone Arena in the series.
It was no surprise that the Blues and Nashville were tied heading into the third period. That was the case for the third straight game Sunday and for the fourth time in the series.
The game got to that point on goals by Stastny, giving the Blues rare lead at the first intermission, and the Predators' Roman Josi, tying the score in the second period.
The Blues were buzzing early on Sunday and needed only 2:04 to get on the board. They've had a tough time finding holes in goalie Pekka Rinne, especially in Nashville, but the club knows the recipe _ shots, traffic and rebounds.
That's exactly how Stastny netted his second goal of the postseason. Vladimir Tarasenko put it on net from the right circle, Rinne made the initial stop, and Stastny whacked the rebound across the line.
The goal was the first at even-strength against Nashville in the playoffs, including their four-game first-round sweep of Chicago.
The Predators, though, got the goal back in the second period and from a familiar source _ their defense.
Roman Josi's fourth goal of the playoffs was the sixth of the series from the Preds' defensemen, meaning nearly half of their 13 goals in the series at that point had come from the blueline.
It came 35 seconds into the second period on a bad sequence for the Blues. They didn't pick up Nashville's rush properly and it ended with Mattias Ekholm firing a perfect pass to Josi, who didn't have a defender near him.
That goals tied the game and Johansen came up with the game-winner in the third period to send the Predators past the Blues.
