NASHVILLE, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- David Legwand notched his first career hat trick Saturday night in the Nashville Predators' 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, losers of nine straight.
Nashville broke a 3-3 tie with three third-period goals to collect its eighth win in nine games and take a 34-12-3 record -- and an NHL-leading 71 points -- into the All-Star break.
The Predators went up, 4-3, eight minutes into the final period when Legwand tapped in a pass from Martin Erat. Kimmo Timonen gave Nashville a two-goal edge with 1:59 to play with a power-play goal, and Legwand got his third of the night with an empty-netter with 37.3 seconds left.
Erat scored the game's first goal, shoving it past a fallen Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin 7:14 into the game. J.P. Dumont put back a rebound for the second Nashville score.
The Blackhawks tied it with goals nine seconds part in the second period by Martin Havlat and Craig McDonald.
Legwand backhanded home a loose puck with 4:52 to go in the second period but Chicago's Duncan Keith tied the score again with his first goal of the season.
