Predators edge Blue Jackets, push point streak to 11

COLUMBUS -- Luke Evangelista scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Nashville Predators extended their point streak to 11 games with a 2-1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Saturday.

Kevin Lankinen made 32 saves for the Predators (37-25-3), who have won 10 of 11 (10-0-1) and six straight on the road.

“We’re feeling it right now. We’ve got a lot of momentum, a lot of confidence,” Evangelista said. “Honestly, it wasn’t our prettiest. We had some lulls there. They had some bits and pushes, especially at the end there, but we’re finding ways to win right now and it’s a lot of fun.”

Daniil Tarasov tied an NHL career high with 47 saves, and Alexandre Texier scored for the Blue Jackets (22-32-10).

“Both the goals were clear shots, not really close to me, and I should get better on that,” Tarasov said. “It's not like every shot was a dangerous shot, like 2-on-1. Sometimes they would just chip it in to me to try to keep the puck in the zone.”

Evangelista made it 2-1 at 4:16 of the third with a shot from the right circle for his 13th goal.

“We pride ourselves on being a third period team,” Predators forward Kiefer Sherwood said. “Whether we’re down or up we want to impose our will.”

Sherwood gave Nashville a 1-0 lead at 12:19 of the first period with an unassisted goal from the right face-off circle between Tarasov’s pads after a takeaway in his own zone. It was his first goal against his hometown team in six career games.

“It’s obviously nice to score here, but the most important thing is the two points and we continue to build and continue to improve,” he said.

The Predators had the first 17 shots on goal until Columbus forward Johnny Gaudreau flipped a 94-foot shot from the neutral zone at 15:12 of the first.

The Blue Jackets were outshot 19-9 in the first.

“That's on us. We just weren't ready to go,” Columbus captain Boone Jenner said. “We weren't able to establish our game at all, and that's on us.

“With our start, if it wasn't for [Tarasov], it would have been a lot worse. We come in after the first period and were only down one. He kept us in it the whole night.”

Texier tied it 1-1 at 1:50 of the second period, when he was at the left post for the rebound of an Ivan Provorov shot from the point.

“It was all about the 1-on-1 battles,” Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. “They were winning those battles. It was individual battles. We started the second period the proper way, and it showed the rest of the game.”

With Tarasov pulled, Lankinen preserved the lead with an outstanding glove save on Gaudreau from the slot with 18 seconds left in the third.

“It was a tale of two different games,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “I really liked our first 15 minutes. We got a little loose for 25, and I really liked our third. The maturity of the group, I thought we did a lot of right things to close the game out. We had opportunities to put it away, and [Lankinen] was outstanding.”

NOTES: Forwards Jason Zucker and Anthony Beauvillier each made his Predators debut. Beauvillier was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, Zucker from the Arizona Coyotes on Friday. Each had three shots on goal and was minus-1. Beauvillier had 14:31 of ice time; Zucker played 14:16. … Nashville forward Filip Forsberg had a seven-game point streak end (12 points; seven goals, five assists), and center Ryan O'Reilly had a six-game point streak end (eight points; three goals, five assists). … Predators forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan, claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings on Friday, was scratched. … Tarasov also made 47 saves in the Blue Jackets’ 5-3 win against the Florida Panthers on Nov. 20, 2022. … Columbus was down a player after forward Justin Danforth became ill Saturday morning. … Blue Jackets forward Trey Fix-Wolansky was recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League on Friday to replace Jack Roslovic, who was traded to the New York Rangers on Friday. Fix-Wolansky was minus-1 with two shots in 12:08.