RECAP: Blackhawks Down Predators, 7-2

The Blackhawks were, in their own words, embarrassed the last time they were in Nashville - falling 3-0 in a game that could've been more lopsided if not for Robin Lehner's 48 saves. In the eight games since, Chicago is 5-1-2, including a 7-2 win in their return to the Music City on Saturday night.
Lehner made 36 stops and the Blackhawks saw their highest offense output of the season to open up a three-game winning streak.

CHI 7, NSH 2
WRITTEN
Full Box Score
THREE THINGS: Night and Day, Goals and the Point
VIDEO
**HIGHLIGHTS**: CHI 7, NSH 2
**REACTION**: Colliton, Lehner and Nylander
GALLERY
**GALLERY**: Blackhawks at Predators
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Lehner helped the Blackhawks survive an early flury of chances from Nashville and stopped 36 of the 38 shots he faced in the win.
STAT OF THE NIGHT: Playing in his 892nd NHL game, Jonathan Toews took sole possession of 10th all-time in games played for the Blackhawks. Brent Seabrook (1099), Duncan Keith (1096) and Patrick Kane (922) are the only active players ahead of Toews on the list.
UP NEXT: The Blackhawks return home to face the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday evening at the United Center (
TICKETS
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GAME RECAP

The Predators controlled the opening minutes of the game, but Chicago's first two shots of the game - both from defensemen - turned the tide just past the five-minute mark of the first. Keith put a shot on goal, earning a draw to the left of Pekka Rinne. On the ensuing faceoff, Toews won a clean draw to the point, where Erik Gustafsson put a quick wirster past an Alex Nylander screen in front and into the net over the shoulder of Rinne at 6:33.

Chicago doubled the lead late in the first as Dominik Kubalik notched his fifth of the season at 18:04. Kirby Dach forced a turnover in the corner on a forecheck and quickly found his fellow rookie alone in front as Kubalik pulled it quickly to his backhand to beat Rinne one-on-one for the 2-0 advantage.

The offense from the back end continued early in the second as Seabrook scored his second of the season from the high slot. Seabrook circled around the top of the circle and flung a backhander on net, causing Rinne trouble as the high shot beat him for a 3-0 lead at 1:51.

David Kampf added his fourth of the season a few minutes later as the Blackhawks took a 4-0 lead. Coming into the zone off the rush, Olli Maatta left a pass in the high slot for the centerman to step into with a blistering one-time that beat Rinne and ended the netminder's night at 11:39 of the second.

The Predators pulled one back at 3:40 of the third as Roman Josi put a rebound past Lehner to cut Chicago's lead to 4-1.
Kane scored a goal for a fifth straight game at 9:09 of the third for a 5-1 lead. DeBrincat won a puck back behind the Nashville goal and swiftly fed Kane with a cross-ice pass that No. 88 connected on from the nearside dot.

Nylander made it a 6-1 affair at 14:03 of the third, driving the net off the rush and finishing a cross-ice feed from Toews at the doorstep for his third of the season and a 6-1 lead.

Nylander wasn't done there, adding the Blackhakws seventh goal through a screen at 17:28 of the third with a feed from Saad.

Josi added his second of the game at 18:52 but Chiacgo took the 7-2 win in Nashville.