Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators Match Player Stats On Dec 01, 2018

Eeli Tolvanen scored his first NHL goal and added an assist as the host Nashville Predators defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 Saturday night.

Kevin Fiala, Ryan Johansen and Craig Smith also had a goal and an assist for the Predators, and Austin Watson added a clinching goal late in the third period as the Predators snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 2-2-0 on their five-game homestand. Goaltender Pekka Rinne stopped 19 of 21 shots.

Brandon Saad and Artem Anisimov scored for the Blackhawks, who have lost three in a row and are 3-11-3 in their past 17 games. Goalie Cam Ward made 25 saves.

The Predators, who were blanked at home Thursday by Arizona, scored three goals in a two-minute span in the opening five minutes.

Fiala opened the scoring at 2:11, pouncing on a rebound and beating Ward from the slot.

Tolvanen, a first-round draft pick in 2017 who was recalled from Milwaukee of the American Hockey League earlier in the day and put on the first line, got his first at 3:32 while playing in his fourth career NHL game.

The Blackhawks lost the puck deep in their own zone and Smith collected the puck along the boards at the top of the left faceoff circle. He passed to Tolvanen in the slot, who beat Ward with a backhander.

The Predators made it 3-0 at 4:11 as Johansen tapped home a pass from Fiala, who skated the puck from behind the Chicago net and made a slick pass to the far post.

Saad scored short-handed at 12:20 of the first before Smith restored the three-goal margin with a power-play goal at 13:35.

Anisimov got the lone goal in the second, beating Rinne from the slot after a nifty pass from Patrick Kane.

Watson scored an unassisted goal at 17:06 of the third period to cap the scoring.

The Blackhawks dropped to 3-7-2 under interim coach Jeremy Colliton. They have allowed 31 goals over their past six games.

--Field Level Media