Predators beat Red Wings 3-1 to take season series

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jonathon Blum scored a power-play goal at 8:12 of the third period, and the Nashville Predators beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 on Saturday night for their fourth victory in five games.

Fellow rookie Blake Geoffrion also scored and David Legwand had an empty-net goal with 28.4 seconds left. Patric Hornqvist had two assists for Nashville, which moved back into eighth place in the tightly bunched Western Conference.

The Predators lead the season series 4-1 with one game remaining with Detroit.

Dan Cleary scored a goal for the Red Wings, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Detroit played without star forward Pavel Datsyuk, who was injured in Thursday night's win over Columbus.

Detroit led 1-0 after the first period and could have been up 2-0, but an apparent goal by Niklas Kronwall was waved off. Kronwall's shot got past Pekka Rinne, but goaltender interference was called on Tomas Holmstrom, who was planted in front of Rinne.

Nashville killed that penalty, but Sergei Kostitsyn was then penalized for elbowing Valtteri Filppula, who was crushed into him by Shea Weber from the backside. Henrik Zetterberg carried the puck along the back boards and passed it to Cleary who tapped in his 23rd goal.

The Predators went on the offensive in the second period, outshooting Detroit 18-9. Geoffrion, the first fourth-generation NHL player, tied it 1-1 at 8:42 when he tipped in his third this season from in front off an assist from Patric Hornqvist. Rinne also got lucky when Mike Modano hit the crossbar on a 2-on-1 break with 1:18 left in the period.

It stayed tied until Zetterberg tripped Shane O'Brien as he went to the net, giving the Predators a man advantage at 7:04 of the third. Blum scored his third off the rebound of Hornqvist's shot for a rare power-play goal for Nashville, ranked 27th in the NHL.

Rinne also helped kill a power play at 16:07. Detroit took a timeout with 37.1 seconds left, before Legwand sealed the victory with 28.4 seconds left.

Notes: Geoffrion's goal was his first at home since being called up from the AHL. ... Predators forward Jordin Tootoo played in his 400th NHL game. ... Kostitsyn had an assist on Blum's goal, giving him three goals and three assists in five games against Detroit this season. ... Nashville has killed 20 of Detroit's last 22 power plays in the series.