National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Nashville 7, Chicago 5
When: 8:00 PM ET, Saturday, April 12, 2014
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Referees: Tim Peel, Justin St. Pierre
Linesmen: Ryan Galloway, Kiel Murchison
Attendance: 17355

Predators 7, Blackhawks 5: Patric Hornqvist's eighth goal in seven games put Nashville ahead to stay with 58.2 seconds to play in the third period as the Predators scored three times in the final 2:55 to sink visiting Chicago.

Paul Gaustad collected a goal and two assists, captain Shea Weber, Craig Smith and Matt Cullen matched Hornqvist with a tally and an assist apiece and defenseman Ryan Ellis and Colin Wilson also scored as Nashville improved to 5-0-1 in its last six and beat the Blackhawks for the fourth time in five meetings this season. Mike Fisher collected three assists and Pekka Rinne notched the win despite allowing five goals on 25 shots.

Andrew Shaw recorded a goal and an assist, Marian Hossa scored his 30th of the season and Matt Carey netted his first career tally in the regular-season finale for Chicago, which fell to 34-2-7 when scoring first. Ben Smith and Jeremy Morin also scored, Brandon Saad notched two assists and Antti Raanta turned aside 26 shots.

Cullen and Wilson scored on rebounds 3:02 apart early in the third to give the Predators a 4-3 lead, but Chicago tied it with eight minutes left as Morin's pass caromed off the back of Weber, bounced between the legs of Rinne and sat on the goal line before Nashville defenseman Roman Josi inadvertently poked it in on a clearing attempt. Gaustad reclaimed the Predators' lead with 2:55 to play, only to see Shaw tie it 80 seconds later with a knuckler from along the right-wing boards.

Hossa followed Smith's opening tally by making a highlight-reel rush and beating Rinne on a wraparound at 12:43 of the first before Smith halved the deficit 14 seconds later by scoring off the faceoff. After Ellis forged a tie 6 1/2 minutes into the middle session with a shot from the slot, Carey buried a feed from Bryan Bickell in the slot nearly seven minutes later for his first NHL goal.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Hornqvist's two points gave him 17 in his last 10 games and a career-high 52 on the season. ... Hossa reached 30 goals for the eighth time in his career and has done it with four different teams - Chicago, Ottawa, Detroit and Atlanta. ... Cullen's goal was the 600th point of his career, while Weber's assist on Wilson's tally eclipsed his previous career high of 53 points.
Top Game Performances
 
Chicago   Nashville
Andrew Shaw 2 Points Paul Gaustad 3
Andrew Shaw 1 Goals Paul Gaustad 1
Brandon Saad 2 Assists Mike Fisher 3
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Antti Raanta .812 Save Percentage Pekka Rinne .800
Antti Raanta 26 Saves Pekka Rinne 20
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Chicago 25 5 0-2 3-3 6 26
Nashville 33 7 0-3 2-2 4 37
Upcoming Games
  • Nashville will play their next game on the road against Minnesota. The Predators have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .422 after a loss.
  • Chicago will play their next game on the road against St. Louis. The Blackhawks have a W/L % of .532 after a win and .600 after a loss.