Stink, Stank, Stunk.

Those three words that the Grinch said is a perfect reflection of the performance of the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 5-3 loss to the Nashville Predators in front of 12,856 in Nationwide Arena.

Steve Sullivan recorded his seventh career hat trick to lead the Predators. Patric Hornqvist and Ryan Jones also scored for the Predators.  Dan Ellis stopped 28 shots.

Nashville outplayed Columbus in virtually every facet of the game and has won all three meetings this season. The two teams play again on New Years Eve at Nationwide.

“We were slow with the puck and it’s been like that for a little while,” Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock said. “We made a lot of puck errors in our own end. We create enough chances to score every night. It doesn’t matter unless you are good from the red-line back.”

The defensive core has been “out of sync” since the injury to Rostislav Klesla on Nov. 30. Marc Methot was a minus-3, while every other defenseman was a minus-2 except Anton Stralman, who was a plus-1.

“Defensively, it’s just a circus,” Commodore said. “It’s just not there. Other teams are making plays and getting great scoring opportunities. When you give up five goals, you are not going to win. We have to figure it out; its been like this for a while. It’s a big change from what I though we’d be like defensively.”

Jakub Voracek and R.J. Umberger each had a goal and an assist for Columbus, while Antoine Vermette also added a goal. Steve Mason stopped 26 of 32 shots.

If there was a positive, the Jackets power play scored twice and held Nashville scoreless in four attempts. Columbus did fail to score on a 73 second two-man advantage.

“We’re not simplifying,” Umberger said. “Just getting shots rejected. (We’re) too cute. Earlier in the year when it worked, it was one-timers from our defensemen. Simple plays, it starts with that.”

The Predators struck four minutes into the game when Kristian Huselius failed to clear the puck out of the Jackets zone. Sullivan beat Mason over the left shoulder with a shot from the right point.

The Jackets got the goal back on the power play with under four minutes remaining in the period. Voracek took a shot from the blue line and it was deflected by Vermette and through the arm of Raffi Torres as it flew in the goal.

“We had a lot of chances early in the first period,” Sullivan said. “I thought we had momentum and a lot of puck possession time in their end. We built off the momentum and just continued on throughout the game.”

Nashville scored twice in 25 seconds to take a 3-1 lead midway through the second.

David Legwand stole the puck from Methot behind the Jackets goal and fed it to Hornqvist, who beat Mason between the legs. Seconds later, Sullivan scored his second of the night with a rebound off a Martin Erat shot.

Voracek jammed in an Umberger rebound on the power play to cut the Predators lead to 3-2.

Sullivan scored his third of the night with both teams skating four apiece. Jones redirected a Hamhuis slap shot early in the third to put Nashville up 5-2.

Umberger was credited with a goal that went off the skate of Nashville Hamhuis with just over four minutes remaining for the final tally.

The Jackets have lost three in a row and have just two wins in their last 13 games (2-7-4).

“I think it’s more than us just not getting breaks,” Jackets captain Rick Nash said. “We’re going through some tough times right now and it’s just a mater of sticking together and getting through this.”

Hitchcock agreed, saying that the team has essentially “sunk to the bottom of the barrel.”

The Jackets skate in Minnesota at 8 p.m. Tuesday and return home Nationwide Arena Thursday to host Phoenix at 7 p.m.

dave.seaman@columbuswired.tv

Twitter: @DaveSeaman94