Blackhawks 5, Predators 3: Rookie Brandon Saad and captain Jonathan Toews scored 55 seconds apart midway through the third period as host Chicago completed a sweep of the home-and-home series and became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.

Andrew Shaw, Patrick Kane, Saad and Toews recorded a goal and an assist apiece and Bryan Bickell also tallied. Ray Emery made 19 saves for the league-leading Blackhawks, who increased their lead over idle Pittsburgh to four points in the race for the Presidents' Trophy.

Captain Shea Weber and Nick Spaling each scored and set up a goal and David Legwand also tallied for the Predators. Pekka Rinne turned aside 35 shots for Nashville, which fell to 1-4-2 over its last seven contests and remained five points behind eighth-place Detroit in the Western Conference with eight games remaining.

Less than three minutes after Legwand gave the Predators a 3-2 lead, Saad grabbed a loose puck on the doorstep and slipped it between Rinne's pads at 9:37 of the third period to forge a tie. Kane beat two defenders to the puck in the right corner after a dump-in and dished it to Toews, who rifled it past Rinne to put Chicago ahead for good.

Shaw and Spaling traded first-period goals before Bickell beat Rinne from the left faceoff circle at 2:09 of the second to give the Blackhawks a 2-1 advantage. Weber knotted the contest less than four minutes later, beating Emery from the top of the right circle after a faceoff win by Spaling.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Weber's goal was the 107th of his career, tying him with Jason Arnott for third place in Nashville's all-time list. ... Chicago posted a 1-0 victory in Nashville on Saturday and can complete a sweep of the five-game season series with a win at home on April 19. ... The Blackhawks improved to 13-0-1 against Central Division rivals.