BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Nashville Predators' scoring drought is finally over.

After suffering three consecutive shutouts, center Mike Fisher, right winger Craig Smith and center Cody Hodgson scored to lead the Predators to a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

Fisher scored 13:52 into the first period to end the team's franchise-worst scoreless streak at 227:39.

"Knew it was gonna come. Just a matter of time," Fisher said. "We were due for bounces and we got a few. Luckily it was enough because they were coming pretty hard at the end."

Unlike recent losses to the New York Rangers (3-0), Minnesota Wild (4-0) and Columbus Blue Jackets (4-0), the Predators were at a disadvantage in shots and chances but found a way to come through.

The Predators (12-6-3) didn't get their first shots on goal until just over six minutes remained in the first period -- they were outshot 8-0 to begin the game -- but they made the most of them.

Following a shot from the right point by defenseman Ryan Ellis, Fisher slammed home the rebound to give Nashville a 1-0 lead.

"Our guys are confident that we're going to score goals," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "We weren't going to get shut out the rest of the year; that would be impossible. Right? Right. At some point we're going to score a goal. I think there's just a lot of confidence in our guys that they're going to score. They do the right things, they put the puck at the net, it's going to go in."

Smith increased Nashville's lead to 2-0 55 seconds into the second period. After skating over the blue line, Smith slipped into the right circle and whipped a wrist shot off the left post and into the net.

Hodgson, the former Sabre, made it 3-0 6:29 into the third following a great feed from right winger Gabriel Bourque. After Bourque inadvertently blocked center Calle Jarnkrok's shot from the point, he fed a pass from the right to left circle, and Hodgson buried his chance into the open net.

It was Hodgson's first game in Buffalo against his former team after he was waived and bought out by the Sabres this summer. Hodgson played for the Sabres the previous 3 1/2 seasons.

"It's just nice to score and help the team win," Hodgson said. "It's a big winner for us."

Goalie Carter Hutton made 30 saves for Nashville and survived a hard collision with Sabres left winger Marcus Foligno with 11:18 left in the third. Hutton came out of his net to play the puck and Foligno, who had recently taken two penalties, dove head-first toward the goalie, sending him upside-down and crashing to the ice.

"I made a decision to go," Hutton said. "I saw the puck coming and obviously got a lot slower but at that point I figured I was too far out to stop. ... he caught my legs and sent me for the old flip-a-rookie. I've got to work on my landing, that's for sure."

Left winger Evander Kane and center Jack Eichel scored for the Sabres (8-12-2). Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark was pulled after allowing three goals on eight shots. He was replaced by goalie Chad Johnson, who made 12 saves.

"There's a lot in the game that's good," Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said.

Kane got the Sabres on the board with 1:38 remaining in the second with a hard wrist shot from long range. Kane returned to the lineup Monday after missing 10 games due to a knee sprain.

Eichel made it 3-2 with 1:19 remaining. With Johnson pulled for an extra attacker, Eichel blasted a one-timer from the left circle following a cross-ice feed by center Ryan O'Reilly.

The Sabres extended their losing streak to six games (0-4-2).

"It's frustrating because I think for the most part we've given ourselves a chance," Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges said. "But at the end of the day it doesn't matter. We're in the business of winning and losing, and all that matters is winning. And whatever position we're in, we've got to find ways."

NOTES: C Tyler Ennis, D Mark Pysyk and C Tim Schaller were scratched for the Sabres. Ennis, one of Buffalo's top forwards, had been struggling in recent games; he missed the game due to an upper-body injury. ... D Anthony Bitetto, RW Miikka Salomaki and D Victor Bartley were scratched for the Predators. ... This was the first of two meetings between these teams this year. They meet again on Saturday in Nashville. ... C Paul Gaustad played for the Sabres for eight seasons from 2002-12. He was acquired by the Predators from the Sabres at the trade deadline in 2012.