Kane's milestone goal lifts Blackhawks by Predators
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Patrick Kane's 700th career point, a tie-breaking goal at 14:48 of the third period Thursday night, lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
Kane skated down the right side and looked off a defender before ripping a wrist shot from the faceoff circle by Pekka Rinne for his 11th goal of the season, enabling Chicago (23-10-5) to snap a season-high three-game losing streak.
Corey Crawford (13-7-3) made 36 saves for the Blackhawks, while Rinne (13-10-5) stopped 20 shots as Nashville (15-14-6) dropped its fifth straight home game and fell to 4-6-3 in December.
Adding injury to continued insult, the Predators played the third period without leading goal-scorer James Neal, who sustained an upper-body injury. His status for Friday night's game in St. Louis wasn't known.
Chicago started the scoring at 13:19 of the first period when Artem Anisimov tipped home Duncan Keith's point shot on the power play for his team-high 16th goal of the season.
The lead lasted just 35 seconds as Filip Forsberg ripped a one-timer by Crawford from just beyond the left faceoff circle off Ryan Johansen's cross-ice feed. It was the seventh goal for Forsberg, and his fourth in the last five games.
After a scoreless second period, Nashville took its first lead since a 5-1 win in New Jersey on Dec. 19 with a man-advantage tally at 6:13 of the third. Mike Fisher was left alone at the right goalpost and jammed home Mattias Ekholm's centering pass for his 10th goal.
But Chicago tied it with its second power-play tally, set up by a controversial tripping call against Craig Smith when Crawford appeared to move into him and fell down as the Blackhawks started a rush. Jonathan Toews capitalized with a tip of Brent Seabrook's point blast at 11:04, his sixth goal.
NOTES: Chicago LW Artemi Panarin agreed Thursday to terms on a 2-year, $12 million contract extension that kicks in next season. Panarin entered Thursday night's game as the team's leading scorer with 15 goals and 22 assists. ... Nashville D P.K. Subban (upper-body injury) will miss Thursday night and Friday night's games in hopes of returning Tuesday night for a home date with his former team, Montreal. Subban hasn't played since Dec. 15. ... The Blackhawks scratched D Brian Campbell, ending his streak of 423 consecutive games played, as well as LW Andrew Desjardins and D Gustav Forsling. ... Predators scratches were D Adam Pardy and C Colton Sissons.