Blues clinch playoff berth, extend streak

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The St. Louis Blues finally can relax with their playoff streak extended for one more year.

The Nashville Predators must wait and see.

Brian Savage scored the tiebreaking goal at 2:43 of the third period, and the Blues beat the Predators 4-1 Saturday, clinching St. Louis' 25th consecutive playoff berth.

The run, which started in 1980, remains the longest such streak in major professional sports, and it marks a remarkable turnaround for a team that won only six of 27 games from late December into February.

St. Louis, now assured of the Western Conference's seventh seed, rebounded with a late-season surge to extend that streak. The Blues' first victory in Nashville this season gave them their 10th win in 15 games.

"We put ourselves in a pretty deep hole here, but we've gotten ourselves out of it and I'm proud of that," Blues forward Doug Weight said. "Our guys, we couldn't be playing better going into the playoffs. We believe, and we had our destiny in our own hands and we took advantage of it."

Blues coach Mike Kitchen now has the option of resting players such as goalie Chris Osgood, who has played in seven straight, today at Minnesota.

"The team has battled hard for a long time here," Kitchen said.

Nashville could've secured its first-ever playoff berth in the franchise's six-year history with a win. The Predators could still qualify with an Edmonton loss at Vancouver later Saturday, or by beating Colorado on today. Nashville would also get in if both games end in a tie.

St. Louis scored a pair of empty-net goals in the final 90 seconds. Dallas Drake scored first at 18:41, and Chris Pronger added one at 19:10. Petr Cajanek also had a goal.

Fans who attended the Predators' sixth home sellout this season made the game feel like a playoff opener instead of the final home game, as they kept chanting and blowing air horns. The teams played like it, too, looking more like they were killing off penalties in a physical, low-shooting game.

"It was a playoff game. There's no question about it," Blues defenseman Bryce Salvador said. "It was a tight checking, hard-hitting. ... What more can you ask for? The fans were in here for them. It was really loud, and it was a great atmosphere."

The Predators lost for the third time in six games because the Blues outshot them 25-17. Osgood, the NHL defensive player of the month in March, smothered almost everything that came near him. He is 5-1 in his last six starts.

Savage broke the tie with his 16th goal, scored at the left front edge off a pass from Weight behind the net.

The Predators went up 1-0 on their first shot as Scott Hartnell scored his 17th at 1:11 of the first under Osgood's stick from the left corner of the crease off a drop pass from Greg Johnson.

St. Louis answered at 10:09 of the first as Cajanek got his 12th off a deflection with assists to Pascal Rheaume and Pavol Demitra.

The officials acted as if it were a playoff game as well, holding off on calling penalties until forced to by a fight after the first-period horn sounded. Nashville forward Jeremy Stevenson took St. Louis right wing Jamal Mayers to the ice after a few punches.

Osgood sprawled to stop the Predators' best scoring chances on Hartnell's backhander at 12:56, and he also smothered a shot by Adam Hall in the final minutes of the period following a beautiful spinning pass by Mark Eaton.

BLUES 4, PREDATORS 1

St. Louis 1 0 3 -- 4

Nashville 1 0 0 -- 1

First Period--1, Nashville, Hartnell 17 (Johnson, Timonen), 1:11. 2, St. Louis, Cajanek 12 (Rheaume, Demitra), 10:09. Penalties--Mayers, StL, major (fighting), 20:00; Stevenson, Nas, major (fighting), 20:00.

Second Period--None. Penalties--Sillinger, StL (elbowing), 7:03; Orszagh, Nas (tripping), 10:37; Johnson, StL (cross-checking), 13:00.

Third Period--3, St. Louis, Savage 16 (Weight, Mellanby), 2:43. 4, St. Louis, Drake 13 (Mayers, Weinrich), 18:41 (en). 5, St. Louis, Pronger 14, 19:10 (en). Penalties--Osgood, StL, served by Savage (roughing), 19:47; Salvador, StL (roughing), 19:47.

Shots on goal--St. Louis 10-4-11--25. Nashville 4-6-7--17.

Power-play Opportunities--St. Louis 0 of 1; Nashville 0 of 4.

Goalies--St. Louis, Osgood 31-25-8 (17 shots-16 saves). Nashville, Vokoun 34-29-10 (23-21).

A--17,113 (17,113). T--2:16.

Referees--Chris Rooney, Stephen Walkom. Linesmen--Scott Driscoll, Stephane Provost.