Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne slides over to cover the net as Filip Forsberg goes to block a shot during the second period against the Calgary Flames at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, on March 23, 2017.Christopher Hanewinckel
Pekka Rinne made 24 saves to lead the Nashville Predators over the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Thursday night.
Calle Jarnkrok, Colton Sissons and Ryan Ellis scored, and Colin Wilson had two assists for Nashville, which has won five of six.
Dougie Hamilton had the lone goal for Calgary. After winning 17 of 21, the Flames have lost two straight.
Jarnkrok scored the game's first goal at 5:02 of the second period. Just 5 seconds after a roughing penalty to Calgary's Freddie Hamilton expired, Craig Smith had the puck behind the Flames' net and found Jarnkrok all alone in the slot, where he beat Chad Johnson high to the glove side.
Johnson finished with 14 saves.
Sissons, playing in his 100th NHL game, doubled Nashville's lead at 7:58 of the second. Wilson carried the puck in along the left boards and moved toward the slot, where he slipped a backhand pass to Sissons on the right side. There, Sissons kicked the puck to his forehand before beating Johnson who was outside the crease to challenge a potential shot by Wilson.
Nashville scored twice in the second despite recording just three shots on goal in the period. The 17 shots on goal for the game were a season low for Nashville.
Dougie Hamilton cut Nashville's lead in half at 10:29 of the second. Johnny Gaudreau prevented a clearing attempt from Filip Forsberg from crossing the blue line and he found Micheal Ferland on the goal line to the left of the Nashville net. Ferland then found an unchecked Hamilton in the slot, and Hamilton he beat Rinne with a one-timer.
Ellis made it 3-1 at the 12-minute mark of the third with a wrist shot from the high slot through traffic that beat Johnson high to the glove side.
NOTES: Nashville D Mattias Ekholm played his 300th career NHL game. ... Predators C Mike Fisher missed the game with a lower-body injury. ... Calgary LW Matthew Tkachuk served the second of his two-game suspension for elbowing Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty in the face Sunday. ... Ferland returned after missing two games with an illness.
UP NEXT:
Flames: At St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
Predators: Host San Jose Sharks Saturday.