NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Andreas Martinsen broke a tie midway through the third period, Semyon Varlamov made 34 saves and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Saturday night.

Francois Beauchemin and Nick Holden also scored for Colorado in the first game of a three-game trip.

Miikka Salomaki and Craig Smith scored for Nashville. The Predators fell to 9-4-2 at home and 9-2-1 in its last 12 home games against Colorado.

Colorado seized a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Nashville rallied to tie the score at 2 on Smith’s one-timer from the left point 58 seconds into the third. It was Smith’s seventh goal of the season.

Martinsen’s backhander during a scramble in front of the net gave the Avalanche a 3-2 lead with 10:24 left.

Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne, last season’s Vezina Trophy runner-up, made 22 saves and fell to 12-8-5.

Beauchemin gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 8:32 of the first period.

His slapshot from the top of the left faceoff circle may have been partially screened by Predators defenseman Seth Jones.

Colorado increased its lead to 2-0 on a tic-tac-toe goal by Holden with 5:22 left in the first period. His wrist shot beat Rinne stick side after passes from Alex Tanguay and John Mitchell.

Nashville narrowed the deficit to 2-1 on when Salomaki deflected Ryan Ellis’ wrist shot past Varlamov with 7.7 seconds left in the first period.

The Predators outshot the Avalanche 10-1 in the second period, but Varlamov was perfect.

Notes: Colorado left wing Gabriel Landeskog missed his second straight game with a back injury. He could return to the lineup at St. Louis on Sunday. The Avalanche scratched defenseman Zach Redmond and Landeskog. ... Nashville scratched defenseman Anthony Bitetto, defenseman Petter Granberg and center Colin Wilson. ... Gaustad took two penalties in the first period. ... When Colorado returns home Dec. 17, it will end a stretch of 20 road games in 32 games.