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. SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers promoted quarterbacks coach Frank Reich to offensive co-ordinator on Tuesday. He replaces Ken Whisenhunt, who was hired Monday as coach of the Tennessee Titans. The Chargers declined to make Reich available to the media. Also Tuesday, defensive co-ordinator John Pagano signed a new contract to remain with the Chargers. In his first season on San Diegos staff, Reich helped tutor Philip Rivers to a record-breaking season. Rivers completed a team-record, career-best and NFL-leading 69.5 per cent of his passes (378 of 544), good for 4,478 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Rivers tied the team record and his personal beset with a passer rating of 105.5. Rivers also set a team mark for single-seeason completions with 378.dddddddddddd Reich was drafted in the third round by Buffalo in 1985 and played 14 NFL seasons, including 10 with Buffalo, one with Carolina, one with the New York Jets and two with Detroit. Reich was involved in two of the greatest comeback victories in football history. As a senior at Maryland in 1984, Reich led the Terrapins from a 31-0 deficit against Miami to a 42-40 victory. At the time it was the largest deficit overcome in a college football game. As the backup quarterback for Buffalo in 1982, Reich started for injured Jim Kelly in a wild-card game against the Houston Oilers and rallied the Bills from a 35-3 deficit in the third quarter to a 41-38 win, the greatest comeback in NFL history. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Auston Matthews Maple leafs Jersey ' ' '