(Sports Network) - Ville Koistinen scored the winner in the shootout as the Nashville Predators edged the Columbus Blue Jackets, 5-4, at Sommet Center.

Koistinen was the final shooter and he made it count, as he went to the backhand and lifted the puck past Steve Mason for the win.

Jason Arnott had two goals and an assist while Radek Bonk added a goal and an assist for the Predators, who had dropped their previous two games. Pekka Rinne stopped 19 shots and all three shooters in the shootout for the win.

"It was an up and down game. We played well and they got some fluky goals," said Rinne. "It was kind of frustrating game. We came back. The game had everything, but it's a huge two points that we needed."

Arnott had been sidelined the last three weeks due to a concussion.

Rick Nash scored twice while Jason Williams added a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who have lost three of their last four games. Mason finished the game with 29 stops.

As far as the playoff picture goes, Columbus sits in sixth place in the Western Conference with 89 points, one ahead of Anaheim and three ahead of Nashville. The Predators are tied with St. Louis for the final spot but have one more win than the Blues.

"The point's big, but we did not play well in the second and third period," said Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock. "We can play better in the second and third."

Just past the midway mark of the third period, Nashville took its first lead of the game. Jordin Tootoo skated between two defenders to get the loose puck deep in the right corner. He sent it to the right circle for Jerred Smithson, who sent an off-balance pass to the slot, where Bonk shot it in.

However, the Blue Jackets tied the game with 4:17 to play as Antoine Vermette sent a quick pass from the right corner to the left side for Williams, who one-timed the puck past Rinne.

With 1:48 left in regulation, Fedor Tyutin was called for a double minor for high sticking, but Columbus' penalty kill came through at the end of regulation and for 2:12 of overtime to force the shootout.

The Blue Jackets got on the board just 6:04 into the game on Nash's 37th goal of the season, though Shea Weber's 22nd goal of the season just over three minutes later tied the game.

Just 31 seconds after Weber's goal, Columbus again went up by one as Jiri Novotny beat Rinne to make it a 2-1 game.

Nash's second goal of the game, this one on the power play, at the 5:46 mark of the second period gave Columbus a 3-1 lead, but Arnott cut the deficit to one at the 11:14 mark of the second.

Skating on the power play, Nashville tied the game with 3:44 to play in the second as Dan Hamhuis blasted a shot from the right point that hit traffic in front and Arnott smacked home the rebound.

Game Notes

Nashville hosts Chicago on Tuesday...Columbus hosts the Blackhawks on Sunday...Each team won three games in the season series...Nashville went 1- for-7 on the power play while Columbus finished the game 1-for-3.



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