• Recap
• Bleachers

Preds take third straight in win over Ducks

Jan 6, 2011 - 6:24 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Patric Hornqvist and Sergei Kostitsyn both registered a goal and one assist to guide Nashville to a 4-1 victory over Anaheim at Honda Center.

Jerred Smithson and Shea Weber also tallied for the Predators, who have won three straight -- all by the same 4-1 score -- on the heels of a five-game slide. Pekka Rinne turned aside 40 shots to collect the win.

"We are playing a good team game which is the biggest thing," Smithson said. "For the most part we are playing solid defensively. We have a little work to do in our own zone. We're not going to score a lot of goals -- that is just how our team is made up. We have to be solid in our zone to win games."

Saku Koivu scored in the third period for the Ducks, who were aiming for a fifth straight home win. Jonas Hiller made 20 saves in defeat.

"We fired a lot of blanks. It just seemed like the puck was doing funny things for us," said Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle.

Anaheim got on the board with 8:14 to go in regulation. The Ducks won a battle for possession along the boards and Koivu wound up flicking a shot over the left shoulder of Rinne.

The Nashville goalie was called for tripping with 3:47 remaining, but Anaheim couldn't convert on the power play. The Predators then sealed the win with a pair of empty-net goals by Kostitsyn and Weber inside the final minute.

Smithson staked the Predators to a 1-0 lead at the 5:10 mark of the first period. Smithson charged in from the left corner and attempted to jam the puck past Hiller. The call on the ice was no goal, but a video review determined the puck indeed slide behind the Anaheim netminder.

Nashville doubled its advantage when Kostitsyn took a return feed from Ryan Suter and fired a shot that deflected in off Hornqvist's skate at 3:56 of the middle frame.

Game Notes

Nashville defenseman Kevin Klein and forward Joel Ward both played in their 200th career NHL game...The Ducks finished 0-for-4 on the power play...Koivu has scored four goals in three games against the Predators this season.