Predators beat Blackhawks 3-1 for 4th straight win

<p>CHICAGO &mdash; Mikael Grunland, Rocco Grimaldi and Ryan Johansen scored, and the Nashville Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Saturday night for their fourth consecutive win.</p>
<p>Luke Kunin had two assists as Nashville (17-17-1) moved ahead of Columbus into fifth in the Central Division, two points behind the Blackhawks in the race for the division’s final playoff berth.</p>
<p>Chicago (16-14-5) lost for the fifth time in seven games. Pius Suter scored for the third straight game, but the Blackhawks were unable to generate much offense against the defensive-minded Predators.</p>
<p>Grimaldi lifted Nashville to a 2-0 lead midway through the second period with his fifth goal in two games, beating Kevin Lankinen from the high slot at 12:58. He scored four times on Thursday in Dallas.</p>
<p>Suter got one back for Chicago late in the second, jumping on a rebound and beating Juuse Saros at 17:33. It was Suter’s 11th of the season.</p>
<p>With the Predators keeping the Blackhawks on the perimeter for most of the night, Saros stopped 29 shots in his ninth win of the season, moving ahead of No. 1 goaltender Pekka Rinne.</p>
<p>Grunland made it 3-1 by converting Chicago defenseman Calvin de Haan’s turnover in the slot into an easy goal 51 seconds into the third.</p>
<p>Johansen opened the scoring for the Predators 5:10 into the first. Alone in the slot, he converted Viktor Arvidsson’s pass from behind the net.</p>
<p>Kunin provided a lift in his return after missing 13 games with a lower-body injury. He replaced leading Predators forward Filip Forsberg, a surprise scratch with an upper-body injury.</p>
<p>Lankinen stopped 31 shots for Chicago.</p>
<p>DACH RETURNS</p>
<p>Second-year forward Kirby Dach made his season debut for the Blackhawks, activated from long-term injured reserve after missing the first 34 games. Dach fractured his right wrist while playing for Canada’s world junior team during an exhibition against Russia. The third-overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft had eight goals and 15 assists in 64 games during his rookie season with the Blackhawks.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>The Blackhawks host the Predators again on Sunday night.</p>
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