Filip Forsberg scored his 10th career hat trick en route to a franchise single-season goal-scoring record as the visiting Nashville Predators cruised to a 5-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.
Forsberg scored his 44th, 45th and 46th goals to move into sole possession of the franchise single-season scoring mark previously set by Matt Duchene (43) in 2021-22. It was also Forsberg’s franchise-record 43rd multi-goal game of his career.
Kiefer Sherwood and Jason Zucker also scored for Nashville (46-29-5, 97 points) which remained in the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference with the win. Luke Evangelista added a pair of assists.
Ex-Blackhawk Kevin Lankinen made 25 saves and also picked up an assist for the Predators, who improved to 17-1-3 in their last 21 games against the Blackhawks, including 10-0-3 in their last 13 games played in Chicago. Nashville also completed a four-game sweep of the season series.
Philipp Kurashev scored for Chicago (23-51-5, 51 points) which suffered its third straight loss. Arvid Soderblom finished with 35 saves.
Nashville took a 1-0 lead at the 5:53 mark of the first period on Forsberg’s record-setting 44th goal on the power play, a one-timer from the right circle past an Evangelista screen and inside the far corner.
Sherwood made it 2-0 with 57 seconds left in the period, taking the puck away from Soderblom as he was trying to cover it up in front of the crease and then roofing a wrist shot for his 10th goal.
The Predators extended the lead to 4-0 in the second period. Forsberg got the first goal at the 5:22 mark when he stole it off the stick of a Blackhawk defender by the right side of the net and then flipped it into the goal. Zucker followed midway through the period with his 14th goal, rushing in from the left wing and then chipping a backhand shot past Soderblom’s glove side.
Kurashev made it 4-1 near the end of the period with a 5-on-3 power play goal, one-timing a Connor Bedard pass from the right circle.
Forsberg completed the hat trick early in the third period with another power-play goal, burying a one-timer from the left side of the net off a Ryan O’Reilly crossing pass.
–Field Level Media