Blue Jackets 1 - 4 Predators
Final
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Preds aim to clinch playoff berth vs. Blue Jackets

Apr 8, 2011 - 3:27 PM (Sports Network) - The Nashville Predators are on the verge of ending a two- year playoff drought. A home matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets could be the springboard to get them there.

The Preds try to punch their ticket to the postseason this evening with a 17th straight home victory over the Blue Jackets tonight at Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville currently sits in a tie with Phoenix for fifth overall in the Western Conference with 97 points, one back of Los Angeles for the fourth spot. The Kings visit the Ducks this evening.

Four points up on ninth-place Dallas, the Predators can clinch a postseason spot with a point in this contest or a loss by the Stars at the Avalanche tonight.

Nashville certainly has momentum heading towards the postseason, improving to 8-1-1 in its last 10 with a 6-3 victory over Atlanta on Tuesday.

Sergei Kostitsyn and Jordin Tootoo both had a pair of goals and an assist in the win, with Kostitsyn now logging six goals and eight assists over a career- high 10-game point streak. Matt Halischuk also scored and Patric Hornqvist added three helpers for the Preds, who are 1-0-1 on a three-game homestand and 23-9-8 as the host this season.

Pekka Rinne made 33 saves, yielding three goals in the third period as the Predators worried more about ice time than who was on the ice.

"We got away from some matchups towards the end," Nashville head coach Barry Trotz said.

Trotz's club will look to avoid its first home loss to the Blue Jackets since April 3, 2006. Columbus is 0-11-5 at Bridgestone Arena since and has also lost nine of the past 12 meetings overall.

Columbus will be shorthanded for this meeting as both Rick Nash (back) and Kris Russell (fractured left tibia) won't play in the club's final two games. Nash has been out since March 29, while Russell suffered his injury in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to Dallas.

With Steven Mason also battling a lower-body injury, Mathieu Garon yielded just one goal on 28 shots for the Blue Jackets, who have lost four straight and are just 3-10-7 in their last 20 to fall out of playoff contention.

"We don't want to quit," Garon said. "All we want to do is win."

Mason could return to action tonight barring a setback.

Columbus is 17-15-8 on the road this year and will wrap its season at home versus Buffalo on Saturday. Nashville visits St. Louis tomorrow.






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