Predators 4, Capitals 3: Rookie Filip Forsberg scored one goal and set up two others as visiting Nashville clinched a postseason berth with its fourth consecutive victory.

Mike Ribeiro recorded a goal and an assist while defenseman Mattias Ekholm and Mike Fisher netted first-period tallies as the Predators moved three points ahead of St. Louis atop the Central Division. Gabriel Bourque collected a pair of assists and Pekka Rinne turned aside 25 shots en route to his league-leading 41st victory.

Troy Brouwer scored twice and defenseman Mike Green added a goal for Eastern Conference wild card-leading Washington, which lost for only the second time in six games and fell three points off the pace in the race for third place in the Metropolitan Division. Marcus Johansson notched two assists and Braden Holtby allowed three goals on 13 shots before being replaced by Justin Peters, who was saddled with the loss despite stopping 13-of-14 shots.

With Washington trailing 3-0, Brouwer scored 19 seconds into the middle period before cutting the deficit to 3-2 with a blast from the high slot less than 7 1/2 minutes later, but Ribeiro redirected Forsberg's backhander with eight minutes left in the session. Green made it a one-goal game with a one-timer from the left faceoff dot 20 seconds into the third, but the Capitals were unable to get the equalizer.

Ekholm opened the scoring at the nine-minute mark, cutting through the crease before beating Holtby with a backhander from the right circle. Fisher doubled the lead nearly 2 1/2 minutes later by burying a fat rebound before Forsberg unleashed a snap shot from above the left circle with 5:13 left in the first period that ended Holtby's afternoon.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Forsberg moved past Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau for the NHL rookie scoring lead with 59 points and tied Craig Smith for the team high with 23 goals. ... Brouwer ended a 12-game drought to reach the 20-goal plateau for the third time in his career. ... Predators captain Shea Weber (lower body) missed his first game of the season. ... Capitals LW Curtis Glencross appeared in his 500th career contest.