The Preditors extend their point streak to 15 games with the victory.
By Joe Yerdon / NHL.com Correspondent
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Nashville Predators set their record by extending their point streak to 15 games with a 4-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday.
Pekka Rinne made 35 saves for his 40th win, 11th straight, and his NHL-leading eighth shutout of the season. He is the seventh goalie in NHL history to win 40 games in a season three times, joining Martin Brodeur, Miikka Kiprusoff, Braden Holtby, Evgeni Nabokov, Jacques Plante and Terry Sawchuk.
Mike Fisher, Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Ryan Hartman scored for the Predators (48-14-10), who have clinched a Stanley Cup Playoff berth and lead the Winnipeg Jets by 10 points for first place in the Central Division.
Nashville is 14-0-1 in its past 15 games, passing the 14-game point streak (9-0-5) it had from Feb. 12-March 9, 2016.
Linus Ullmark made 28 saves in his second start of the season for the Sabres (23-37-12), who have lost three of four games (1-2-1).
Fisher gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 12:29 of the second period when he tipped a shot by Miikka Salomaki that deflected off Scott Hartnell. It was his second goal since coming out of retirement March 2.
Johansen made it 2-0 at 17:03 when he put a loose puck off Sabres defenseman Casey Nelson’s stick past Ullmark.
Forsberg made it 3-0 at 16:09 of the third period when he scored on the rebound of a Viktor Arvidsson shot.
Hartman made it 4-0 with 24 seconds remaining.
*NOTES — The Buffalo Sabres today announced the team has recalled forward Justin Bailey from the Rochester Americans. Bailey (22, 6-foot-4, 214 lbs.), who joins the Sabres for his fourth recall this season, has four points (3+1) in 10 games for the Sabres this season. Currently in his third professional season, the Buffalo native has recorded eight points (5+3) in 50 career NHL games for the Sabres. Drafted by Buffalo in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Bailey has six points (4+2) in his last six games for the Amerks and has posted 92 points (49+43) in 150 career AHL contests.