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Ellis, Predators blank Blue Jackets

Mar 26, 2008 - 4:50 AM By Jim Diamond PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Dan Ellis made 36 saves to post his fifth shutout of the season, leading the Nashville Predators to a 3-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.

The win, its sixth in seven meetings with Columbus this season, pulled Nashville (38-31-8) within two points of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with five games remaining.

Columbus (33-32-11), which lost its third in a row, remained nine points out of the eighth spot with six games to play.

Jan Hlavac and All-Star Jason Arnott each had a goal and an assist and Radek Bonk also tallied, giving Ellis more than enough offensive support.

The 27-year-old netminder made five saves in the first period, 19 in the second and 12 in the third for his first shutout since January 22 and fifth career.

"Danny was great again for us tonight," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "It was all about goaltending tonight. In the second, he really stood on his head."

Ellis, who has had trouble with dehydration and losing weight during games, saw his body weight drop from 186 pounds before the contest to 173 afterward.

"I always lose weight in a game. It is just that tonight was a little more extensive," Ellis said. "All I want to worry about right now is giving the team a chance to win."

Hlavac opened the scoring at 5:22 of the first period. After goaltender Fredrik Norrena got his glove on Arnott's wrist shot from the left wing boards, the puck dropped in front of the crease for Hlavac, who buried it for his 11th goal of the season and second since being acquired from Tampa Bay on February 26.

"The last few games, I have had a lot of chances but I was not able to score," Hlavac said. "I'm pretty happy I scored the first goal of the game tonight."

Arnott doubled Nashville's lead at 15:54 of the first.

From the right wing boards near the end line, J.P. Dumont sent a pass to Arnott, who was stationed at the top of the right faceoff circle. Arnott's one-timer sailed over the glove of Norrena, giving the captain his 28th goal of the season.

"When J.P. gets it, I just try to get as open as I can, and he usually finds me," Arnott said. "We are just trying to get pucks on goal and drive to the net, and tonight we scored a few goals that way."

The Blue Jackets carried the play in the second period, but Ellis was equal to the task, making a pair of outstanding saves on Columbus captain Rick Nash on separate power-play opportunities.

With the Blue Jackets on the man advantage with 4:13 remaining in the second, the game was interrupted when Columbus defenseman Ron Hainsey's shot shattered a pane of glass. Referees Chris Rooney and Stephane Auger sent the teams to their respective locker rooms and started the second intermission early.

"I thought we had a strong first period, and then the second period, we had a very poor period," Trotz said. "The best thing about the second period was the glass breaking."

The teams returned to the ice to play the remaining time of the second period and then immediately switched sides to play the third.

Bonk snapped a 19-game goalless drought at 5:45 of the period with a power-play goal, knocking in the rebound of Martin Erat's wrist shot.

"There were two weak goals by our goalie. The first and the third goals were really weak and disappointing," Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said. "The third goal really took the wind out of our sails."

Norrena finished with 16 saves before being replaced following Bonk's tally by Dan LaCosta, who stopped five shots in his NHL debut.