Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Dan Ellis made 36 saves to record the fifth shutout of his career, as the Nashville Predators blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-0, at the Sommet Center.

Jan Hlavac and Jason Arnott each posted a goal and an assist for the Predators, who have won two straight.

Nashville, with 84 points, trails idle Colorado by two points for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Fredrik Norrena allowed three goals on 19 shots before he was lifted in favor of Dan LaCosta, who finished with five saves for the Blue Jackets. It marked the rookie goaltender's first appearance in an NHL game.

Hlavac staked the Predators to a 1-0 lead at the 5:22 mark of the opening stanza. Arnott fired a shot that Norrena failed to corral with the glove and Hlavac, driving hard to the net, found the rebound in tight and put it behind the Columbus netminder.

Arnott made it a 2-0 game with his 28th goal of the season. After taking a draw, the Nashville captain dropped back to the top of the right circle, where he one-timed J.P. Dumont's pass high over the glove of Norrena with 4:06 remaining in the first.

The Blue Jackets kept the Predators hemmed in their zone for much of the second period and held a 19-5 edge in shots, but couldn't solve Ellis.

Hlavac had a power-play marker waved off with 6:29 remaining because he used a distinct kicking motion to direct the puck into the net.

Broken glass forced the clubs to retreat to their locker rooms with 4:13 to go in the middle stanza. Following the second intermission, the teams played out allotted time before switching ends at the start of the third period.

Radek Bonk extended Nashville's lead to 3-0 with a power-play goal at 5:45 of the third. Martin Erat fired a shot from the middle of the right circle that Norrena turned aside. Bonk, who positioned himself on top of the crease, backhanded the rebound past the left pad of Norrena.