TAMPA, Fla. — Calle Jarnkrok had a short-handed goal and three assists, helping the Nashville Predators beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Monday.
Pekke Rinne stopped 38 shots and picked up his 14th career assist in Nashville’s first victory against Tampa Bay in six meetings on the season. Mattias Ekholm had a goal and an assist, and Eeli Tolvanen and Viktor Arvidsson also scored.
The Predators won for the second time in the past eight games.
Steven Stamkos scored for Tampa Bay, which lost for the second time on home ice this season in 12 games. Curtis McElhinney fell to 2-3-1 on the season after stopping 22 shots.
Nashville opened the scoring in the second period. Tolvanen got his sixth goal when he converted a wrist shot from the left dot at 3:58 after a cross-ice pass from Ryan Johansen.
Arvidsson made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 9:14. He scored on a one-timer from the left circle from a pass by Erik Haula.
Tampa Bay had a chance to cut into the lead with a power-play chance at 11:03, but Brayden Point was unable to knock a sailing puck out of the air inside the blue line. Jarnkrok then skated away for a breakaway to make it 3-0 on his eighth career short-handed goal.
Stamkos spoiled Rinne’s bid for his 60th career shutout when a pass intended for Yanni Gourde deflected in off the skate of Dante Fabbro at 10:03 of the third period.
Ekholm scored into an empty net with 19.6 seconds left.
ROOKIES RUN WILD
The Predators had dressed six different rookies in the previous three games before Fabbro returned Monday after serving a two-game suspension. But no matter who is in the lineup for Nashville, coach John Hynes said the expectations for the team don’t change.
“We expect our team to play competitively (no matter) who’s in the lineup or who’s not in the lineup,’’ Hynes said. “When you’re winning games, you’re trying to find ways to get better, and when you’re not winning games, it’s no different. But the mentality and the process doesn’t change just because your lineup changes.’’
TIGHT SCHEDULE
Tampa Bay started a stretch of five games in seven days with two sets of back-to-backs this week. So the Lightning gave goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who leads the league with 17 victories, the day off. Spencer Martin serving as McElhinney’s backup against the Predators.
UP NEXT
Lightning: At Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Predators: At Florida Panthers on Thursday.
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