Predators 2, Blackhawks 0: Pekka Rinne turned aside 29 shots for his first shutout of the season as visiting Nashville ended Chicago’s four-game point streak.

Mike Fisher and Gabriel Bourque scored while Calle Jarnkrok notched his second assist in as many games to start his career for the Predators. Rinne, who came in 2-5-0 since returning from injury and sickness, earned his 31st career shutout as Nashville moved within seven points of Phoenix for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Corey Crawford made 15 saves but saw his three-game winning streak come to an end as Chicago fell six points behind first-place St. Louis in the Central Division. The Blackhawks were 0-for-4 on the power play and have come up empty in nine opportunities over the last two games.
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Rinne stopped 11 shots in the first period and Fisher worked his way in front of the net to redirect defenseman Ryan Ellis’ pass at 18:38 to open the scoring. Bourque doubled the lead with 2:25 left in the second session, chasing down a loose puck and moving in to beat Crawford from the left faceoff circle.

Rinne made nine saves in the third to earn his first shutout since March 12, 2013 against Dallas. Chicago could not get a stick on defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson’s deflected shot with Rinne down in the final minute and was blanked for only the second time this season.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Predators rookie D Seth Jones left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury and did not return. ... Nashville RW Patric Hornqvist missed the game to be with his wife for the birth of their child. …Chicago RW Patrick Kane was held out for the second straight game with a left knee injury. … Nashville has won three of the first four meetings this season after dropping six in a row against the Blackhawks.