HAWKS CAN'T ESCAPE PREDATORS

NASHVILLE-- Paul Kariya had a goal and an assist and Tomas Vokoun made a season-high 38 saves to help the Nashville Predators beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 on Tuesday night for their season-opening eighth straight victory.

Martin Erat and David Legwand also each had a goal and an assist, Steve Sullivan and Yanic Perreault added goals, and Scott Hartnell had three assists for the Predators in the game that included five fights between the division rivals.

Chicago outshot Nashville 41-22, but was 1-for-13 on the power play.

The Predators took control early, scoring three goals in the first period. Erat started things with a slap shot from the left circle that beat goalie Nikolai Khabibulin to the far side. Perreault scored his fourth of the season on a power play with 6:11 remaining, and Kariya scored off a give-and-go with Legwand 1:15 later.

Chicago cut it to 3-2 on goals by Jim Dowd and Matthew Barnaby in the second period, but Legwand made it 4-2 when he banked a shot of the post.

Sullivan gave the Predators a 5-2 lead with a breakaway, short-handed goal in the third period before Jim Vandermeer scored a late power-play goal for Chicago.

With Ottawa's 3-2 loss to Carolina on Monday night, the Predators are the lone unbeaten team in the NHL.

Chicago, coming off a 4-2 win over Minnesota on Sunday, has yet to win consecutive games this season.

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