Steen's goal lifts Blues past Predators 4-3 in SO

T.J. Oshie and Alexander Steen scored in the shootout, and the St. Louis Blues edged the Nashville Predators 4-3 on Monday night.

The Blues won the Central Division last season, but the Predators won the season series 4-1-1 with three of those games going to a shootout. This time, the Blues had the only goals in a shootout that lasted only two rounds. Brian Elliott, who came off the bench in the second, stopped Craig Smith and Martin Erat to get the win.

"Shootouts are funny because two years ago this was a good team," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Last year, we weren't. I'm telling you, those points now mean everything."

Rookie Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists for St. Louis. Andy McDonald had a power-play goal and an assist, Alex Pietrangelo's goal tied it up in the third period, and Kevin Shattenkirk had two assists. The team that won the President's Trophy last season now has started this lockout-shortened season with two straight wins.

"It's our first road game of the year, we were down by a goal and end up tying it up and winning," Blues center Jaden Schwartz said. "We had a little adversity there, and we came through so I think we can build on that."

Patric Hornqvist had a goal and two assists for Nashville. Mike Fisher had a goal and an assist, Colin Wilson a goal and Erat two assists.

Oshie scored first with a backhander over Nashville's Pekka Rinne. After Elliott stopped Erat at the front of the crease, Steen skated up and squeezed the puck between the post and Rinne's outstretched skate.

Rinne made sure the Predators at least got to the shootout. He stopped a shot from Pietrangelo from the slot, then stopped another by Oshie off the rebound laying down on his back at the post inside the final minute of overtime.

The Predators opened the season with a 3-2 shootout loss to Columbus. Now they visit Minnesota on Tuesday to start a seven-game road trip that will be their longest this season and won't play again in Nashville until Feb. 7.

"We haven't been beaten in a game," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We've been beaten in, a little bit you could say, a skills competition. But at the same time, it's huge, especially the extra points, I mean, in the league right now. If you can get them in a shootout, let's take them."

St. Louis, which plays at Chicago on Tuesday night, picked up where the Blues left off in their 6-0 opening rout of Detroit, outshooting Nashville 39-24 through overtime. They started strong too with an early 6-3 edge in the first period.

Wilson scored on the Predators' fourth shot, beating Jaroslav Halak with a wrister just inside the left circle at 9:10 of the first.