ST. LOUIS — Dmitrij Jaskin scored in his first playoff game this season and Jaden Schwartz got the winner, helping the St. Louis Blues stay alive against the Nashville Predators with a 2-1 victory in Game 5 of their second-round series on Friday night.
Schwartz scored 25 seconds into the third period on a rebound off a Colton Parayko shot, giving St. Louis a 2-1 lead. Schwartz has a team-high four postseason goals.
Jake Allen made 21 saves for the Blues, who had dropped two in a row.
James Neal scored for the Predators, and Pekka Rinne made 30 saves.
Game 6 is in Nashville on Sunday.
Jaskin put the Blues in front at 5:43 of the second period, banging home a rebound off an Alex Pietrangelo shot. It was Jaskin’s second career playoff goal.
Jaskin was inserted into the lineup in place of Alexander Steen, who was sidelined because of a lower-body injury. He had just one goal in 51 games this season.
Neal tied it with Nashville enjoying a two-man advantage with 6:10 left in the second. The power play was set up when Pietrangelo and Patrik Berglund both took minors with 7:19 left.
NOTES
HURRICANES: Goaltender Scott Darling agreed to a four-year contract worth $16.6 million.
The deal was announced one week after the Hurricanes acquired Darling in a trade with Chicago. Darling, 28, was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. The former UMaine goalie had a career-best 18 wins with a 2.38 goals-against average in 32 games, helping the Blackhawks post the best record in the Western Conference.
PENGUINS: Sidney Crosby returned to work, practicing with his teammates four days after a frightening hit that left him with a concussion, though his status for the rest of the playoffs is uncertain.
While the two-time MVP declined to get into specifics about whether he’ll be available for Game 5 at Washington on Saturday, he’s keeping his options open.
“We’ll see,” Crosby said. “I don’t want to rule it out. It’s not really up to me. You relay how you feel and they kind of direct you from there.”
Penguins Coach Mike Sullivan is in no rush to make a decision on Crosby as the defending Stanley Cup champions try to close out the Capitals.
“We’ll see how he responds (to practicing) and go from there,” Sullivan said.
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