Delmore's two goals lead Preds to 100th franchise win

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Expansion franchises look for anything positive in the early years. Getting to 100 victories definitely counts as a high point.

Defenseman Andy Delmore scored two power-play goals as the Nashville Predators beat the Ottawa Senators 4-2 Thursday night for the 100th victory in franchise history. The fourth-year team reached the mark in only its 274th game, something only Florida (223) achieved quicker among recent expansion franchises.

Not all the Predators were immediately aware of the mark, but Nashville coach Barry Trotz called it a milestone.

"To be the second-quickest in sort of modern expansion, that's a pretty good feat," he said. "Our goals are bigger down the road, but when you're starting a franchise, you always look for things that are very positive. And that's very positive that we're going in the right direction."

"The next goal is to 200."

Vladimir Orszagh and Greg Johnson also scored for the Predators, who got their second victory over the Senators, and first since November 1999.

Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara had goal for Ottawa.

The Predators had just lost all four games on a road trip, but returning home where they went undefeated with five victories in November helped. They got two goals in the opening minutes, starting when Johnson scored at 1:17 when he put a wrister from past the right circle past Patrick Lalime for his sixth goal of the season and 100th of his career.

"That is how we have to remember to play every game," Nashville goalie Mike Dunham said.

The Predators got three power-play goals against Ottawa, which won on the road at Dallas on Wednesday night. Coach Jacques Martin said his Senators, ranked 23rd in penalty killing, have to improve.

"We got away with it for awhile in November, but overall, you have to do a better job," Martin said.

Delmore made it 2-0 at 7:21 with his eighth goal and fifth power-play goal when he took a pass from Kimmo Timonen and pushed a one-timer past Lalime's left leg. He scored again 14 seconds into the third on a similar play from nearly the same spot near the left circle.

Alfredsson scored an unassisted goal at 6:33 of the third to ruin Dunham's shutout bid.

Orszagh padded the lead with a power-play goal from in front of the crease at 9:39, but Chara poked in a rebound behind Dunham's leg at 16:38 to make it 4-2.

Dunham finished with 28 saves for his first victory since Nov. 17.

Notes: Delmore became the first Nashville defenseman with two two-goal games. His third-period goal also was the fastest in Nashville history by one second. . . . Johnson has 10 points -- four goals, six assists -- in the past 10 games. . . . Nashville right winger Vitali Yachmenev started the game after missing the Predators' four-game road trip with a sore right foot. He had to be helped off the ice in the second but returned in the third. . . . Ottawa left winger Shawn McEachern had an assist on Chara's goal and has four points in the last four games. . . . Ottawa left winger Martin Havlat played in his 100th NHL game.