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Predators ride five-goal second period to top Blackhawks

Jan 6, 2007 - 5:46 AM CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Paul Kariya, Scott Hartnell and the rest of the Nashville Predators proved what a well-rested team can accomplish.

Kariya scored a goal and set up three others and Hartnell tallied twice as the Predators erupted in the second period en route to an 8-3 triumph over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Off since Monday's home loss to Colorado, Nashville had plenty of jump in this one, scoring 70 seconds into the game and two more times later in the first period before a five-goal surge in the middle session broke open the contest.

"We were in their city waiting for them," former Blackhawk Steve Sullivan said. "So we jumped on them early and they couldn't bounce back. It was a case of them being tired."

Chicago played in St. Louis on Thursday, losing a 2-0 decision.

"I won't take anything away from our guys, but at times, the schedule can hit you," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "I think they didn't play their best game."

"Just a night when everything went wrong," Blackhawks coach Denis Savard said. "We would like to practice tomorrow, but with a day game on Sunday, we'll just have to walk the guys through it."

Kariya fed Hartnell for the opening goal and gave the Predators a 2-1 lead with just over five minute to go in the first. The star left wing again set up Hartnell 3 1/2 minutes into the second for a 5-1 cushion before assisting on defenseman Ryan Suter's tally that concluded the outburst in the session, staking Nashville to a six-goal advantage.

"We never expected to come in here and score eight goals against Chicago," Kariya said. "They have been playing really good hockey, so it was nie to break out like this and finish our first half of the season on a good note."

Jason Arnott and David Legwand each had a goal and two assists, Sullivan netted a tally and set up another and J.P. Dumont added two assists for the Predators, who improved to 10-3-1 against Central Division opponents.

"In a lot of areas, we were very good tonight," Trotz said. "We scored on our chances, and in the first period, we were very sound defensively as well."

Tony Salmelainen posted his first career two-goal game for Chicago, which played without star right wing Martin Havlat due to a groin injury.

"Whether we have Marty or not, we still have to play," said Blackhawks center Bryan Smolinski, who was acquired from Ottawa along with Havlat during the offseason. "He is not the whole team."

Hartnell opened the scoring with a one-timer off a cross-slot feed from Kariya, but Brandon Bochenski tied it for Chicago at 11:49 with a wrist shot from the high slot. Kariya put Nashville ahead for good just over three minutes later, carrying down the right side and cutting into the faceoff circle before beating goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin with a wrister.

Arnott buried a rebound in the final minute of the period for a 3-1 lead and Sullivan scored 73 seconds into the middle session to chase Khabibulin, who yielded four goals on just 13 shots.

"Tonight, it was like we never back-checked before and we just turned pucks over," Savard said. "Nashville took advantage of every mistake we made. The good news is that this is something we can fix, and we will fix it."

Hartnell, Legwand and Josef Vasicek scored consecutive goals against netminder Brian Boucher before Salmelainen ended the Predators' string of six straight tallies with 6:21 left in the period.

"I think the effort was there, but not the passion," Smolinski said. "You have to have both, and once we fell behind, we just threw our arms up and let it go."

Nashville improved to 12-0-0 when Kariya scores a goal.

"We have good team speed, and we used it tonight," he said. "We did a nice job of forcing their defensemen to turn the puck over."