Predators 4, Avalanche 2
Joel Ward and Martin Erat each had a goal and an assist, and the host Nashville Predators moved to within one point of a playoff spot with a 4-2 victory over the hapless Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
Defenseman Shea Weber and Matt Halischuk scored first-period goals and Pekka Rinne made 36 saves for the Predators, who are 3-0 against the Avalanche this season. The Predators are 32-4-1 this season when they score three or more goals.
Ryan O’Reilly and Daniel Winnik scored in the second period for Colorado, which has lost eight straight and is 2-18-2 since Jan. 20.
Ward’s goal came at 13:31 of the second period and gave Nashville a 3-1 lead. Erat scored an empty-netter with less than two seconds left.
Weber, who leads the Predators with 43 points, banged home a rebound 4:16 into the game.
Rookie Blake Geoffrion, the first fourth-generation player in NHL history, recorded his first career assist. His grandfather is Hall of Famer Bernie Geoffrion and his great-grandfather – Howie Morenz – was one of the original 12 Hall of Fame inductees in 1945.