Filip Forsberg tied a franchise record with four goals as the Nashville Predators defeated the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets 6-0 Tuesday night.
Yakov Trenin and Nick Cousins also scored for the Predators, and goaltender Juuse Saros made 27 saves for his first shutout of the season and the 15th of his career.
Mikael Granlund had the primary assist on each of Forsberg’s goals. Granlund has 20 assists this season, tied for second in the NHL to Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who has 22.
Columbus starting goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was pulled after allowing three goals on nine shots in the opening 12:52. Joonas Korpisalo took over and stopped 25 of 28 shots the rest of the way.
Forsberg opened the scoring at 4:56 of the first period. Granlund dug the puck away from the boards behind the net and passed to Forsberg in the left-wing corner. With no defenders in his way, Forsberg skated into the lower part of the faceoff circle and put a wrist shot into the near upper corner of the net.
Trenin made it 2-0 at 12:43 of the period, finishing off a two-on-one break with Colton Sissons.
Forsberg tallied again nine seconds later, taking a backhanded pass from Granlund, who was along the right-wing boards, and putting a one-timer into the upper right corner of the net from between the faceoff dots.
Columbus’ Jack Roslovic beat Saros on the power play midway through the second period, but Nashville coach John Hynes won a challenge that found that the Blue Jackets were offside entering the offensive zone.
Forsberg completed his hat trick at 15:26 of the second, taking a no-look pass from Granlund just outside the top of the crease and putting the puck into the open side of the net.
Forsberg scored his fourth of the night, and his 10th in 13 games this season – he sat out nine games with an injury – with a power-play goal at 19:54 of the second to make it 5-0.
Cousins capped the scoring at 7:15 of the third.
–Field Level Media
