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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- While the Blue Jackets remain wildly inconsistent, the Predators are rounding into form at the quarter mark of the season. Rookie goalie Marek Mazanec made 19 saves for his second shutout, and Matt Cullen and Nick Spaling each had a goal and an assist as streaking Nashville beat Columbus 4-0 on Wednesday night. Nashville coach Barry Trotz likes his teams recent level of commitment and attention to detail. "It was a pretty easy night for him," Trotz said, referring to Mazanec. "It was sort of a team win. You need to make a couple of saves when needed and he did." Mike Fisher and David Legwand also scored for Nashville, which has found its groove on the heels of a four-game losing streak. Mazanec, filling in while Pekka Rinne recovers from a hip injury, earned his fifth win -- all in the last six games. "He was very steady out there," Ryan Ellis said. "I think our team overall played very strongly." The Predators improved to 11-1-2 when scoring first and 9-0-1 when leading after the opening period. Columbus was back home after a 3-2 trip through Canada. The Blue Jackets had hoped to build on the momentum of a 6-0 victory Monday against Toronto, but instead they have alternated wins and losses for six games and still find themselves searching for the type of balanced, hard-nosed play from late last season that nearly propelled them into the playoffs. "Some of it is leadership, youth," coach Todd Richards said. "There are lots of things that add to it. Its tough to just point and say this is the reason for the inconsistency." The switch to the Eastern Conference this season didnt change Columbus fortunes against its former Central Divisional rival. Except for last season, the Predators have mostly dominated the series, and they again controlled the play in this one. "It looked like we lacked some energy, another step," Richards said. "Thats not an excuse. Youve got to find a way." Poor defence was a culprit for Columbus, while Nashville pressed the entire game. "I thought we started off really well," Trotz said. "We stayed to the game plan. We managed the puck, played smart, played fast early." Cullen made it 1-0 with his fifth goal at 9:58 of the first from the edge of the right circle, scoring on a slick pass from Ellis. "To fake the shot and hit me through the seam, not a lot of D-men will make that play," Cullen said. The Blue Jackets were outshot 14-4 in the period, with their best chance coming off Matt Calverts stick in tight. Mazanec turned it aside. On a power play that carried into the second period, Fisher beat two Blue Jackets players to a bouncing puck in the slot and smacked it past Sergei Bobrovsky for his fifth goal 54 seconds in. It was Nashvilles first shot of the period. Later in the period, the Predators won battles behind the net and one for a puck in the slot. This time it was Legwand scoring his fifth to make it 3-0. "We just didnt have the energy level," Columbus James Wisniewski said. "I think we worked. We just didnt have that little extra gear to win that little extra battle." The home crowd later booed the Blue Jackets on a lacklustre power play. Spaling scored his fourth goal from the hash marks on a nice feed from Cullen at 2:02 of the third. "Cullens got a great head for the game and creates a lot of offence," Spaling said. NOTES: Mazanec, who entered with a 1.61 goals-against average in the previous five games, has allowed two goals or fewer in the last six games. ... Columbus was shut out for the second time in its past five games. ... The Blue Jackets finished 0 for 2 with the man advantage. The Predators have not allowed a power-play goal in six games, killing off 16 straight chances dating to Nov. 15. ... Nashville hosts the Oilers on Thanksgiving. Edmonton then visits Columbus on Friday. Air Jordan Shoes For Sale Australia . 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He spent most of the outing searching for his best stuff, but still managed to shut down the struggling Minnesota Twins offence. Cheap Jordan Shoes Australia .Y. - Brooklyn Nets centre Brook Lopez has a strained lower back and will miss at least a week. SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, who had a tumultuous departure from the Miami Dolphins last October amid a bullying scandal, made the 49ers when the team trimmed its roster to the NFLs 53-man limit on Saturday. Martin is getting a fresh start with the 49ers following a scandal in which he accused teammate Richie Incognito of bullying. An NFL investigation determined Incognito and two other Dolphins offensive linemen engaged in persistent harassment of Martin. Martin started all four of San Franciscos preseason games at right tackle in place of injured regular Anthony Davis. He also has value at other line positions and has fit in well with his new team this summer. "Jonathan is another example of someone who has really earned the position, and were very fortunate to have him and excited about it," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said Saturday. "Hes mainly played tackle, but he has the ability to play guard and going forward that will be something that hell continue to learn and be good at. I feel very good about it. Hes done an excellent job of getting the job done." Martin joins rookies Marcus Martin and Dillon Farrell as new additions to a San Francisco line that parted ways with Adam Snyder, a nine-year veteran with 87 career starts. Snyder was expected to be a top backup at centre and both guard positions this season. Snyder has 87 starts, including 75 with the 49ers, who drafted him in the third round in 2005. He returned to the team last season after spending one year in Arizona, starting four games at left guard in place of the injured Mike Iupati. The 49ers also are without incumbent starting right guard Alex Boone, a holdout all summer as he seeks a new contract. Also among those released were safeties C.J. Spillman and Bubba Ventrone, wide receiver Kassim Osgood and long snapper Kevin McDermott. All four veterans were standouts on San Franciscos special teams units last season. The 49ers kept free agent Kyle Nelson to replace McDermott and several other new young facess to fill in on special teams, including undrafted rookie James McCray.ddddddddddddFarrell also made the team as an undrafted rookie. The 49ers also provided quarterback Colin Kaepernick with more help at the skill positions by keeping six wide receivers, including newcomer veterans Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd along with fourth-round draft pick Bruce Ellington. Those three additions will join holdover starters Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree and youngster Quinton Patton in a vastly upgraded San Francisco receiver corps. "Theres only one football and thats not going to change," Harbaugh said. "Nothing will be given. These guys will be competing, and it will be competition at the highest level, no question when you look at that group. But the competition wont be self-centred. It will be something that will be very good for our team." The 49ers also padded their depth behind Kaepernick by keeping backup quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Josh Johnson. San Francisco went primarily with two quarterbacks on its roster last season. Johnson finished the preseason on Thursday by completing 14 of 17 passes for 135 yards and three touchdowns during a 40-13 win over of the Houston Texans. He had a 110.8 passer rating and led the 49ers in all major passing categories. He also was fourth on the team with 57 rushing yards. "We all felt like he earned it," Harbaugh said. Also released by the 49ers were: offensive linemen Carter Bykowski, Al Netter, Michael Philipp and Ryan Seymour, wide receivers Lance Lewis and LDamian Washington, defensive linemen Lawrence Okoye and Mike Purcell, linebackers Shane Skov and Chase Thomas, tight end Asante Cleveland, cornerback Darryl Morris and running backs Glenn Winston and Alfonso Smith. Winston led the team in rushing during the preseason with 113 yards on 19 carries. To reach the final 53-player roster limit, the 49ers placed fullback Will Tukuafu and cornerback Kenneth Acker on the injured reserve list. ' ' '