NHL: Predators defeat Boston Bruins 1-0

The shutout was his second this season and 53rd of his stellar career, and he ran his season record to 5-1-0.

Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne celebrated a big Saturday with a 26-save shutout, and Roman Josi netted the only goal in the Predators' 1-0 win over the visiting Boston Bruins.

The performance by Rinne came on the heels of his 42-save effort in his return from injury in a 4-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

The shutout was his second this season and 53rd of his stellar career, and he ran his season record to 5-1-0.

Rinne's win was the 316th of his career, leaving him just three shy of countryman Miikka Kiprusoff's 319 - the most by a Finnish netminder in the NHL.

Earlier in the day, Nashville signed Rinne to a two-year, $10 million contract extension. Rinne, who turned 36 on Saturday, will make $6 million next season and $4 million in the 2020-21 campaign.

Josi scored the game's lone goal in the first period, and Ryan Ellis and Nick Bonino had assists for the Predators, who improved to an NHL-best 9-0-0 when scoring first and 6-0-0 against Eastern Conference opponents.

Jaroslav Halak recorded 39 saves for the Bruins, who were coming off a 3-2 win at the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.

The game featured two of the three stingiest clubs in the NHL in goals against per game -- Nashville second at 2.31 per contest, Boston third at 2.42 -- and the first period played out tightly, especially the first 10 minutes.

After a Predators power play in the first period, Josi skated from the blue line on the right side, pivoted past a defender, cut through the right circle and slid his fourth goal of the season past Halak at 14:49 for a 1-0 lead.

Josi, who scored the game-winning goal in the win over the Lightning, collected the 300th point of his eight-year career with the marker.

Both clubs failed to score on power plays in the first six minutes of the second period, but the Predators killed off two more and ended the period on their own power play following a tripping infraction by Boston's Steven Kampfer.

Rinne stood strong in the game's final two minutes to preserve the win after the Bruins pulled Halak for an extra skater.

(With inputs from agencies.)