OTTAWA -- Winning on the road has proved to be a difficult feat for the Nashville Predators, but then they hadn't been to Canadian Tire Centre before Thursday night, either.

For the second time in eight days, the Predators defeated the Senators, this time by a count of 5-1.

It was just the second road win in nine tries for the Predators (7-6-3). It also marked the first loss in regulation time for the Senators (10-6-1) in five games, since they fell 3-1 to the Predators in Nashville on Nov. 8.

"I thought right from the get-go we played a really good game," said Predators captain Mike Fisher. "We've struggled on the road. We haven't had efforts like that.

"We kind of knew coming in we had to start getting wins and playing smart. It felt like we just knew we were going to win that one the whole way."

The way goalie Pekka Rinne is playing certainly has to be confidence-inspiring.

Rinne, who missed Tuesday's game in Toronto with a lower-body injury, has allowed just three goals and recorded a .974 save percentage in his last four games. He stopped 30 Ottawa shots, beaten only by center Derick Brassard's second goal of the season in the opening period.

"I thought we managed the game really well on the road," said Rinne. "We had a lot of chances tonight. It feels good when you put five goals on the board. I think the third period being our best period, that's something we can get confidence moving forward."

Centers Colton Sissons and Mike Ribeiro, defenseman Ryan Ellis, and wingers Pontus Aberg and James Neal and scored for the Predators.

Neal's goal was his seventh in six games, enabling him to tie a franchise record for most consecutive game with a goal.

"He's played well all year," said Predators coach Peter Laviolette. "The beginning of the year when he didn't have the goals, he was like one of the top five guys on shots on net. We kind of got hit with that sickness and bug and it knocked the guys back for a couple of games. Even if they were in the lineup, they were pretty sick for two or three days. He was part of that and I think he got set back a little bit by that. After two or three games, getting his feet back under him, he's jumped right back into it. He's putting the puck at the net all the time. He's working for opportunities."

Senators coach Guy Boucher, who had previously called the Nov. 8 game in Nashville his team's worst of the season, retracted that statement Thursday, putting the tag on this loss instead.

Boucher might have seen the writing on the wall when John Forget, the team's head equipment manager, was hit above the left eye with an errant puck in the first.

"It wasn't a good night," said Boucher. "It was one of these nights that nothing is working. You've even got your trainer getting 23 stitches. Guys dropping their sticks, bad changes. It wasn't good.

"Unfortunately over 82 games, you're going to have some of those. And tonight was one of those nights."

The Senators gave up the first goal for the 12th time in 17 games, as they fell behind 2-1 after one period and 3-1 after two.

At that point, things did not look good for the Senators, who haven't scored more than three goals since Oct. 18.

"It's not how we want to play, catching up, because we're struggling to score," said center Kyle Turris. "So giving up a lead and chasing every game, it's tough to do."

Made tougher by the fact the Senators, who were already without injured top line winger Mike Hoffman, lost winger Bobby Ryan to a hand injury in the first.

Ryan's status is up in the air for Saturday's home game against the Florida Panthers.

Getting Brassard untracked was a positive for the Senators. After scoring in his first game for his new team, Brassard, a 27-goal scorer with the New York Rangers last season, has been fighting the puck.

His goal, which also snapped an 0-for-14 rut for the Senators' struggling power play, at least restored his confidence. Brassard leads all Senators with six shots on goal.

"It was good to get on the board for the guys, but I wish it was in a victory for our team," said Brassard. "We were still in the game in the third period. We had a chance to come back."

The Predators, however, played a solid third period, allowing Ottawa only 10 shots on goal and nothing too dangerous.

"We've got to bottle that game and bring that same game to St. Louis (on Saturday) because they're a great team," said Predators defenseman P.K. Subban, who had two assists. "It's important for us. It's something for us to build off of. Our mentality now has to be we can still be better. We want more and we have to be hungry. We have to have that dog and a bone mentality going into St. Louis."

NOTES: Senators LW Mike Hoffman missed the game with an undisclosed injury. Coach Guy Boucher said Hoffman, the team's leading goal scorer in each of the last two seasons, is day-to-day. ... Senators G Craig Anderson left the team for personal reasons Thursday. ... Senators G Andrew Hammond dressed as backup to G Mike Condon. ... Senators D Frederik Claesson was a healthy scratch. ... Predators captain Mike Fisher was honored in a pregame ceremony. Fisher played the first 675 games of his career with the Senators. ... Predators C Cody Bass was scratched. Bass began his career with the Senators. ... Predators D Matt Carle was scratched.