Johansen stays hot with goal, assist, Preds down Jets 4-1

Ryan Johansen kept up his hot play since being traded with a goal and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators over the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 on Thursday night.

Johansen has four goals and nine points in seven games since his trade from Columbus on Jan. 6.

Craig Smith, James Neal and Calle Jarnkrok, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Predators.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored his ninth goal of the season for Winnipeg, which has dropped two straight to start its six-game homestand.

Pekka Rinne made 25 saves for the Predators and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 24 for the Jets.

Winnipeg was 0 for 4 on the power play and the Predators 1 for 3.

Ehlers scored at 4:16 of the first period after getting behind Nashville's defense, picking up a long, breakaway pass from Joel Armia and flipping the puck past Rinne.

Nashville capitalized on a kneeing penalty to Jets winger Anthony Peluso to tie it 1-1 at 16:39 of the first.

Johansen scored his ninth goal of the season on the power play when he jammed the puck in on the short side from behind the goal line.

Nashville took the 2-1 lead in the second period when Smith's shot from inside the faceoff circle went high past a partly screened Hellebuyck for his 10th goal at 5:04.

Winnipeg had an 18-17 edge in shots on goal heading into the third.

Neal scored his 17th goal at 18:08 when Johansen won the faceoff and sent the puck to him out in front. Jarnkrok added the empty-netter 25 seconds later.

Notes: It was the third time the teams have played each other in 16 days. The Jets won the first two, including a 5-4 overtime victory last Thursday in Winnipeg. ... The Jets were without forwards Alexander Burmistrov, Adam Lowry, Mark Scheiefle and Drew Stafford. All but Burmistrov are on the injured-reserve list. ... Winnipeg hosts New Jersey on Saturday. The Predators continue their four-game road trip Saturday in Edmonton.