Calle Jarnkrok scored the game-winner, and the Nashville Predators concluded their four-game road trip by defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets by a 3-1 final on Tuesday night at Nationwide Arena. It’s Nashville’s third consecutive victory, bumping their record to 8-5-2 on the season and giving them six out of a possible eight points after a successful swing across the country.
Facing Columbus on the second half of a back-to-back for the home team, Nashville scored first, and after allowing their first and only goal early in the third, the Preds buckled down to place another in the win column.
After a scoreless first period, Irwin broke the tie with his second goal in three games as he took a feed from Viktor Arvidsson and picked the top corner on Joonas Korpisalo. But early in the third, Pierre-Luc Dubois took advantage of a Nashville turnover and beat Pekka Rinne on a breakaway to even the score. Then, with less than six minutes to play in regulation, Miikka Salomaki drove to the net and Jarnkrok pounded the rebound home to give the Preds a 2-1 advantage, the final lead they’d need for the night. Viktor Arvidsson iced it with an empty-netter before it was all over, and combined with another stellar effort in net from Rinne – his second consecutive 35-save performance – the Predators found another way to get the job done.
The Predators will return to the friendly confines of Bridgestone Arena for five of the next six in their home building beginning on Saturday night versus Pittsburgh.
(Courtesy Nashville Predators)