Predators shut out Blackhawks

NASHVILLE — Juuse Saros and the Nashville Predators are making a push for a playoff spot. Not so much for the Chicago Blackhawks. Saros made 41 saves as the surging Predators beat the Blackhawks 3-0 on Saturday. Luke Kunin, Colton Sissons and Eeli Tolvane scored for the surging Predators, who have won seven of their past eight games. “This game was goaltending and special teams,” Nashville coach John Hynes said. “We found a way to win a game where we didn’t have a ton in the emotional bank account.” Kevin Lankinen made 18 saves for the Blackhawks, who lost for the fourth time in five games. With the victory, Nashville moved two points ahead of Chicago for fourth place in the Central Division. The top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs this season. Nashville has won all five meetings between the teams this season. Saturday’s game was Saros’ second shutout of the season and No. 13 for his NHL career, and he had to be sharp with the Blackhawks controlling much of the action. Tolvanen scored his 10th goal of the season 5:56 into the first period. With Nashville on a power play, his slap shot from the top of the left circle beat Lankinen high to the stick side just under the cross bar. Sissons’ sixth goal of the year made it 2-0 at 10:14 of the second on a penalty shot. Kunin’s third goal at 9:54 of the third gave Nashville a 3-0 lead. Defenseman Jeremy Davies picked up an assist for his first career NHL point. Nashville entered Saturday with the NHL’s worst penalty kill percentage at 72.1%, but its penalty killers came up big against the Blackhawks. In addition to Sissons’ penalty shot, the Predators killed off all four Chicago power play opportunities, including 1:55 of a 5-on-3 advantage early in the third. With an assist on Tolvanen’s power-play goal, defenseman Roman Josi became the highest-scoring Swiss-born NHL player with 435 points; the Predators captain surpassed Mark Streit.

FOOTBALL

› HOUSTON — Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is accused of sexual assault and harassment in lawsuits filed by 21 women, is being investigated by police after a report was filed regarding the NFL player, officials said Friday. In a tweet, the Houston Police Department said a complainant had filed a report with the agency about Watson. “As with any allegation, the Houston Police Department is now conducting an investigation and will not comment further during the investigative process,” the law enforcement agency said. Watson’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, has called the allegations “meritless” and has questioned the claims made against the player, alleging they were made after a failed attempt to blackmail his client for $30,000. “We welcome this long overdue development. Now we will learn the identity of at least one accuser. We will fully cooperate with the Houston Police Department,” Hardin said Friday in a released statement. It was not immediately known if the person who filed the report with Houston police is one of the women who has filed suit against Watson. Tony Buzbee, who represents the 21 women, did not immediately return an email seeking comment. All of the women who have sued Watson are either licensed massage therapists or worked in a spa or similar business. Earlier in the week, Hardin offered statements from 18 different women who said they had worked with Watson and he had “never made them feel uncomfortable or demanded anything outside the scope of a professional massage.”

TENNIS

› MIAMI — No. 1-ranked Ash Barty won her second successive Miami Open championship Saturday by beating No. 8-seeded Bianca Andreescu, who was injured when she fell and retired trailing in the second set. Andreescu, crying and shaking her head, conceded while behind 6-3, 4-0. She stumbled and went sprawling two games earlier when she turned her foot awkwardly while hitting a forehand. During the ensuing changeover, a trainer taped her foot, but she played only five more points before retiring. The match was the first between Barty and Andreescu, and a potential friendly rivalry looms. “I hope you recover well and this doesn’t hinder your season too much,” the 24-year-old from Australia told Andreescu during the trophy ceremony. “I’m sure we’ll have many more good and hopefully healthy matches in the future.” A 20-year-old Canadian, Andreescu has been plagued by injuries in her short career, and the tournament was her first in the United States since she won the 2019 U.S. Open.