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Nino Niederreiter, Matt Duchene and Thomas Novak also scored for
the Predators. Juuso Parssinen collected two assists, and
goaltender Juuse Saros made 37 saves.
Connor Murphy collected one goal and one assist, while MacKenzie
Entwistle tallied for the cellar-dwelling Blackhawks, who have
lost eight straight games, all in regulation, and are on a
1-15-1 spiral. Goalie Petr Mrazek stopped 33 shots.
Josi broke a 2-2 deadlock 87 seconds into the third period when
he gained the puck deep in the offensive zone, went to the front
of the net and lifted a backhand shot to net his seventh of the
season.
Then, Novak rounded out the scoring at 6:09 of the final frame
with his first NHL goal in more than a year. The defenseman
worked to the left faceoff dot and ripped a top-corner shot for
his second career goal, coincidentally both coming against the
Blackhawks.
Josi's assist on the play was the 567th point of his career,
moving him ahead of David Legwand for the most in Predators
history. Josi joined Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins) as the only
defensemen who are the all-time leading scorer of an active NHL
franchise.
Niederreiter opened the scoring just before the midway point of
the opening period when he elected to shoot on a two-on-one rush
and found the mark just inside the far post for his 11th of the
season.
Murphy's third goal of the season tied the game at 16:03 of the
second period. The Blackhawks were buzzing and were rewarded
when Murphy's point shot ricocheted off a defender's stick just
enough to beat Saros.
Entwistle put the hosts ahead 37 seconds later, his team's first
lead in 22 periods. His shot from the top of the right circle
deflected off the stick and skate of Predators defenseman Jeremy
Lauzon and past the startled netminder for his second goal of
the season.
Chicago hadn't led since its last win, on Dec. 3 against the New
York Rangers.
Duchene's ninth goal of the season evened the score with five
seconds remaining in the second period. Mattias Ekholm spotted
Duchene as he raced to the net and sent a perfect cross-ice pass
for a one-timer.
Adding to their loss, Blackhawks defenseman Jake McCabe left the
game in the middle of the first period after being hit in the
face by a stick.
--Field Level Media
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