Hurricanes blow past Predators 4-1

NASHVILLE — Andrei Svechnikov and Nino Niederreiter each scored in the second period, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 Tuesday night.

Jordan Staal scored a goal in the first, and Sebastian Aho added a goal in the third and Justin Faulk had two assists as Carolina won its fourth straight in Nashville. The Hurricanes moved into the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, tying Columbus with 72 points with two games in hand.

Goalie Petr Mrazek made 28 saves and improved to 9-1-0 against the Predators.

Ryan Johansen scored a goal for the Predators, who snapped a three-game winning streak. Nashville hasn’t won four straight since October.

The Hurricanes brought their mothers with them for this quick road trip, and they attacked from the start — outshooting Nashville 6-1 with Staal’s eighth of the season on their sixth shot. He scored on a wrister after a trio of saves by goalie Juuse Saros 3:23 into the game.

Nashville went 0 for 4 on the power play. Mrazek made a pad save on Filip Forsberg’s breakaway attempt in the first after a turnover kicked by Carolina defenseman Joel Edmundson at the blue line, and Forsberg’s backhander went over the crossbar in the second on another breakaway chance.

The Predators tied it 48 seconds into the second when Johansen backhanded the puck into the open net with Mrazek screened by Viktor Arvidsson in the crease. Carolina lost its challenge of goalie interference.