NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Marian Hossa scored two goals to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday.
Hossa scores 2 goals, Saad has a goal, assist to help Blackhawks beat Predators 3-1
Brandon Saad had a goal and an assist for Chicago, which won its sixth game in a row and ninth in the last 10. With the win, the Blackhawks took over the Central Division lead.
Colin Wilson had the lone goal for Nashville, which saw its seven-game home winning streak end.
Saad scored the game's first goal at 14:53 of the opening period.
Just outside the Nashville blue line, Hossa and Duncan Keith forced a turnover by Nashville's Eric Nystrom. Saad carried the puck in on the left side and beat Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne with a wrist shot high to the far side.
Hossa doubled the Chicago lead at 2:48 of the second.
Saad carried the puck in on the right side before sending a pass to Hossa on the left, where he had an easy tap-in for his fourth goal of the season.
Hossa ended a six-game goalless drought.
Early in the third, Wilson was able to beat Chicago's Scott Darling with a wrist shot from the left boards after it deflected off of Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.
Darling made 32 saves in the game.
Hossa added an empty-net goal with 1:11 remaining to account for the final margin.
Notes: Nashville D Anton Volchenkov missed the game with a lower-body injury. Wilson has goals in three of his last four games. Saad has points in four-consecutive games. Chicago D Klas Dahlbeck made his NHL debut.
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Widely known that Minnesota sports fans are among the most suffering in the nation, this holiday season has the chance to become special, given the recent success of the Vikings, Wolves, Lynx and Wild.