Roman Josi scored the tiebreaking goal with 6:33 remaining in the third period and the Nashville Predators held on for a 3-2 win over the host Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night.
Nashville won its season-high fifth game in a row and swept the weekend series over the Blackhawks. Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and an assist for the Predators, and Calle Jarnkrok added a goal.
Alex DeBrincat scored a pair of goals in a losing effort for the Blackhawks, who have dropped six of their past eight games. Pius Suter picked up a pair of assists.
Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne stopped 27 of 29 shots to improve to 9-11-1 on the season. It was his 368th career win.
Malcolm Subban gave up three goals on 31 shots for the Blackhawks. He fell to 4-5-1.
Nashville opened the scoring 4:43 into the first period. Subban strayed from his crease to try to handle the puck behind the net, but he turned it over and Arvidsson capitalized by banking a shot off the right skate of Blackhawks defenseman Calvin de Haan. The puck slipped past a surprised Subban for Arvidsson’s fifth goal of the season.
The Predators increased their lead to 2-0 with 90 seconds remaining in the first period. Jarnkrok battled for position near the crease and punched in a deflected shot by Mattias Ekholm for his 10th goal of the season.
The Blackhawks cut the deficit to 2-1 with 12:25 to go in the third period. DeBrincat scored off assists from Patrick Kane and Suter.
DeBrincat scored his second goal of the game and his team-leading 18th of the season less than two minutes later to make it 2-2. He again capitalized off an assist from Suter for his fourth multiple-goal performance of the 2020-21 campaign.
Predators Filip Forsberg missed his second game in a row because of an upper-body injury. His status is listed as day-to-day.
Blackhawks forward Dylan Strome did not play. He was away from the team because of the birth of his child.
–Field Level Media