Fiddler game winner gives Preds series opening win

Vern Fiddler fired the game winner with 5:05 to go, nullifying a nice St. Louis rally and lifting the visiting Nashville Predators to a 4-3 series opening win against the Blues at Scottrade Center Wednesday (April 26) in their National Hockey League Central Division final.

The Preds never trailed in the contest, but a pair of goals in the first half of the third period helped the Blues rally back from a 3-1 deficit. Unfortunately, for the only Midwest based NHL team still playing in the NHL playoffs, the momentum swing didn’t produce a go-ahead goal.

Colin Wilson put the visitors in front with the only goal of the opening period and PK Subban doubled the margin for the Preds with his goal 2:22 into the second.

Defenseman Colton Parayko finally got the Blues on the scoreboard in the period’s ninth minute but Filip Forsberg restored the two-goal cushion about four minutes later with his third goal of the post season.

Jaden Schwartz continued his hot spell with his third of the post season 6:48 into the third and Vladimir Sobotka finished the comeback a little less than three minutes later.

Pekka Rinne who played such a big part in the Preds’ sweep of the Chicago BlackHawks in the opening round of the post season, stopped 27 of 30 to pick up the win in goal while Jake Allen, also coming off a big opening round, handled 28 of 32 shots he faced, including 11 of 13 on Predator powerplays.

Game two of the Best-of-Seven series will also be played at the Scottrade on Friday (April 28).