Fisher, Rinne lift Predators over Panthers 3-1

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Nashville Predators center Mike Fisher (12) shoots on Florida Panthers goalie Scott Clemmensen during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Associated Press

(AP) Mike Fisher scored early in the second period and Pekka Rinne made 39 saves in the Nashville Predators' 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.

David Legwand and Andrei Kostitsyn also scored, and Kostitsyn added an assist as the Predators won for the fifth time in seven games.

Wojtek Wolski had the lone goal for the Panthers, who got 20 saves from Scott Clemmensen. Florida lost for the fifth time in six home games.

The Predators went ahead 2-0 28 seconds into the second on Fisher's goal. Martin Erat passed the puck from behind the net to Fisher below the left circle for a shot that beat Clemmensen on the far side.

The Panthers cut the deficit to 2-1 on Wolski's second-period goal. Marcel Goc passed the puck to Wolski who wristed a shot from the bottom of the right circle past Rinne's glove side at 7:49.

Nashville restored its two-goal lead in the third when Legwand skated in on Clemmensen and backhanded a shot past him at 7:02.

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Fisher, Rinne lift Predators over Panthers 3-1