NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Steven Stamkos scored four goals to lead the Nashville Predators to a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena. Stamkos, named the game’s top star, completed his hat trick in a dominant second period where Nashville scored four times to break open the game. The Predators built a 2-0 lead in the first period and never trailed before an announced crowd of 17,159. Luke Evangelista added three assists for Nashville. Robert Thomas and Hugh McGing scored for the Blues, both in the second period. Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the win. The victory improved Nashville’s record to 12-18, while St. Louis fell to 11-21. The teams meet again Monday in St. Louis.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Steven Stamkos erupted for four goals, leading the Nashville Predators to a decisive 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night at Bridgestone Arena. The offensive outburst powered the Predators to their fourth win in five games, improving their record to 12-18. The Blues, meanwhile, dropped their second straight contest and fell to 11-21 on the season. A crowd of 17,159 watched as Stamkos, the veteran center from Markham, Ontario, took over the game. He opened the scoring late in the first period, batting a puck out of mid-air past Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington at the 8:22 mark. He had given Nashville a 1-0 lead earlier, finishing a setup from defenseman Roman Josi at 11:19 of the first. The floodgates opened in the second period. Ryan O’Reilly, the Clinton, Ontario, native, made it 3-0 at 16:38, converting a feed from Luke Evangelista. Just over six minutes later, Filip Forsberg of Ostervala, Sweden, pushed the lead to 4-0 with his 11th goal of the season. Stamkos completed his hat trick at 24:06 of the second, and before the period ended, he added his fourth of the night and 12th of the season with a backhand shot at 30:33. The second period ended with Nashville holding a commanding 6-0 advantage, having scored four times in the frame. St. Louis showed a brief spark late in the second. Center Robert Thomas of Aurora, Ontario, broke Juuse Saros’s shutout bid at 26:56, and Hugh McGing followed just over a minute later at 28:17 to cut the deficit to 6-2. Both Blues goals came in the second period. Any thought of a comeback was extinguished in the third when Nashville’s Michael Bunting tipped in a Luke Evangelista shot at 21:36 to provide the final 7-2 margin. Evangelista, a right wing from Toronto, was the primary facilitator for Nashville, registering three assists. He was one of several Predators with multi-point nights. Fedor Svechkov of Togliatti, Russia, had two assists, as did Josi of Bern, Switzerland, and Matthew Wood of Nanaimo, British Columbia. Saros, the goaltender from Forssa, Finland, earned the win with 24 saves on 26 shots. Binnington was pulled after two periods, having allowed six goals on 32 shots. Joel Hofer played the third period in relief for St. Louis, making 10 saves on 11 shots. The game featured a fight in the second period between St. Louis defenseman Tyler Tucker and Nashville forward Michael McCarron. The Blues were assessed five penalties to Nashville’s three, but neither team capitalized on the power play. The result was a stark reversal of pregame expectations. National Statistical’s game simulator had projected a narrow 3-2 Nashville victory, while its ELO system gave St. Louis a 54.2% probability to win. The Blues had been installed as a 1.5-goal favorite, and the total of nine goals sailed over the posted over/under line of 5.5. For Stamkos, the performance marked a dramatic return to form. In his four previous games, he had managed just two goals and six shots on net. His four-goal night single-handedly overpowered a St. Louis team that entered having won two of its last three. The Predators look to continue their improved play Saturday when they visit the Colorado Avalanche. The Blues, seeking to halt their slide, return home to face the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. The two Central Division rivals will meet again in St. Louis on Monday.

ST. LOUIS (11-19-0) AT NASHVILLE (10-18-0) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Interstat) — Two Central Division rivals mired at the bottom of the NHL standings will meet Thursday night when the St. Louis Blues visit the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Both teams are looking to build on rare recent victories. The Blues (11-19-0) arrive after winning two straight, including a 4-3 victory at Montreal on Sunday. The Predators (10-18-0) snapped a three-game slide with a 2-1 overtime win at Florida last Thursday but are coming off a 6-3 loss at Carolina on Saturday. The matchup features two veteran forwards leading their respective offenses. St. Louis center Brayden Schenn is on a hot streak, recording five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in his last five games. He had two goals and an assist in Sunday’s win over the Canadiens. Nashville will counter with left wing Filip Forsberg, who has points in three of his last four contests, including a goal and an assist in the loss to Carolina. Goaltending will be critical for two teams that have struggled to keep pucks out of their net. St. Louis’ Jordan Binnington, who made 23 saves in the win over Montreal, is likely to start. Nashville’s netminder situation remains less certain after allowing six goals in its last outing. The game is the first of three meetings between the clubs over the next three weeks. They will play again in St. Louis on Monday and on Dec. 27. Despite their poor overall records, both clubs have shown flickers of life. The Blues are 4-2-0 in their last six games, while the Predators had won three straight before their current 1-2-0 stretch. A victory for either team would provide a crucial boost before heading into a difficult stretch of the schedule. Following Thursday’s game, Nashville begins a four-game road trip at Colorado on Saturday. St. Louis returns home to host Chicago on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.