Smith scores twice as Predators halt losing streak with 4-2 victory over Blackhawks

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cole Smith scored two goals, Gustav Nyquist scored just hours after welcoming his third child into the world and the Nashville Predators defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 in a Saturday matinee.

Yakov Trenin also scored, and Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves for Nashville, which halted a four-game losing skid.

Philipp Kurashev and Tyler Johnson scored and Arvid Soderblom made 28 saves for Chicago, losers of three-straight and four of five.

Lankinen, a former Blackhawk, made his second start of the season between the pipes for Nashville. Lankinen’s best stop came on Alex Vlasic’s shorthanded breakaway attempt with 5:00 remaining in the first.

Trenin scored the game’s first goal at 12:07 of the opening period after Colton Sissons blocked a clearing attempt and then found Trenin in the slot, where he beat Soderblom with a wrist shot.

Soderblom’s record on the season fell to 1-6-0.

Nyquist made it 2-0 at 18:32 of the first with a power-play goal, just hours after his wife, Danielle, delivered their third daughter Greta around 7:30 Friday night.

Kurashev got Chicago on the scoreboard at 13:04 of the second when he buried a rebound of Connor Bedard’s shot from the left faceoff dot.

Bedard played his first game in the building where the Blackhawks made him the first overall pick of this past June’s draft.

Smith scored with 3:40 remaining in the second to restore Nashville’s two-goal lead. The Predators lost their previous two games after holding two-goal leads in both.

Tyler Johnson scored with 7:45 remaining to again close the gap to one goal. But Smith added an empty-net goal in the final minute to clinch it for Nashville.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Host Buffalo Sunday.

Predators: Host Colorado Monday.