Forsberg, Saros spark Predators to 5-2 win over Blues

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly each had a goal and assist while goalie Juuse Saros registered 35 saves, lifting the Nashville Predators to a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

Saros rebounded after being pulled in Thursday’s 9-2 home loss to Dallas. He was relieved in net at the start of the second period after giving up four goals on 18 shots. Saros evened his record to 21-21-2 with the win.

Luke Evangelista, Colton Sissons and Luke Schenn also scored for Nashville.

Jordan Kyrou and Nathan Walker scored for St. Louis. Jordan Binnington, who registered 36 saves in a 6-3 win Thursday over Edmonton, recorded 28 saves. Binnington’s record dropped to 19-15-2.

The Predators, who kicked off a five-game road trip, are 2-4-1 in their last seven games since Jan. 27.

With the win, Nashville is just two points behind St. Louis and the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.

The Blues lost for just the third time in their last 11 games.

Two goals in 65 seconds in the third period gave Nashville a 4-1 lead.

Forsberg scored on a wrist shot at 6:48 on a power play. Schenn followed by notching his first goal on a tip at 7:51.

O'Reilly added an empty-net goal 18:28 into the third. It was his 20th goal of the season.

Evangelista scored on a breakaway at 13:09, putting Nashville up 2-1 in the second period. Marco Scandella missed the puck at the blue line and an alert Evangelista nabbed it and skated in, beating Binnington.

Sissons scored his 14th goal this season 4:11 into the game, giving the Predators a quick 1-0 lead. Sisson intercepted a pass by Pavel Buchnevich and snapped in a wrist shot for the unassisted goal.

The Blues had a two-man advantage for 1:21 late in the first period and made Nashville pay. Kyrou scored on a wrist shot from the left circle at 19:05 with two seconds left in the two-man advantage. A cross-ice pass from Robert Thomas set up Kyrou’s 19th marker. Kyrou has five goals in his last five games.

UP NEXT:

Predators: Play at Vegas on Tuesday.

Blues: Host Toronto on Monday.

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