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Skille scores twice as Blackhawks handle Predators

Dec 23, 2010 - 6:33 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Jack Skille scored twice to help the Chicago Blackhawks take a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators at Untied Center.

Dave Bolland had a goal and an assist while Bryan Bickell tallied the other goal for the Blackhawks, who have won three straight. Duncan Keith had two assists in the win while Corey Crawford made 24 saves.

"To get these three wins before the long rest is big," said Bickell. "We play at home after the break and hopefully we can this momentum going. We play the way we've been playing we'll have success."

Sergei Kostitsyn notched the lone goal and Anders Lindback was charged with all four goals on 35 shots for the Predators, who have dropped their past two after winning five straight.

"Tonight, we tried to chase the game way too much," said Nashville head coach Barry Trotz. "And when you're chasing the game, bad things happen. We didn't execute."

Bolland got the first goal thanks to his own hard work. Bolland was harassing a retreating Predators player, who sent the puck back to his goaltender. Lindback immediately tried to play the puck out of the zone, but Fernando Pisani grabbed it and sent it back to Bolland, who danced to the front and slipped it past Lindback at 12:29 of the first period.

Skating on the power play nearly midway through the second period, Chicago took a 2-0 lead when Skille accepted a feed at the right wing and snapped a wrister by Lindback.

Skille blew as snapshot into the net from the high slot at 9:14 of the third.

Crawford stopped 20 shots through the first two periods, but Kostitsyn ruined the shutout when he tipped in a Martin Erat shot with 8:47 to play while on the man advantage.

Nashville nearly made it a one-goal game, but J.P. Dumont's backhander from the right circle went off the left post and Chicago transitioned back down the ice.

Skating down the left wing, Bickell beat Lindback with a wrister from the left circle with 2:32 to play, sealing the win.

Game Notes

Nashville had won the previous two matchups in the series this season...Chicago hosts Columbus on Sunday...Nashville hosts Ottawa on Thursday...Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne was back in the lineup after being out since early in the month because of left knee surgery. However, he didn't see any time.