NASHVILLE — The Predators have some work to do to lock in a first-round playoff date with the Wild, but it would make sense if that's motivating them to climb the standings.
For the third time this season, they perplexed the Wild after running away 6-2 on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena to ruin the Wild's 10-game point streak.
This was the Wild's only second regulation loss in its last 12 games, and both came against Nashville. The Wild is still comfortably in second place in the Central Division seven points ahead of the Predators, but Nashville is now only four back of No. 3 St. Louis; the second and third seeds in the division will face off in Round 1 of the playoffs.
Like in previous matchups this season, the Predators dominated the special teams battle by scoring three power play goals in the first period; their fourth tally in the second came seconds after a power play expired. Marc-Andre Fleury, in his first loss with the Wild, had 27 saves, and Juuse Saros made 47.
Overall, in three victories this season, Nashville has outscored the Wild 16-6 with its power play going 6-for-13 and the Wild 1-for-14 after capitalizing just once in six tries on Tuesday.
Add in four fights, including three in the first 11 minutes, and the Wild struggled to roll its bench and rely on the depth that shined during its recent tear.
But the Predators were able to activate their strength, and that's Norris Trophy candidate Roman Josi, who played a part in three goals.
Josi tallied the first one, scoring from inside the left circle on the power play 5:10 into the first period, but that lead was erased by a Mats Zuccarello shot at 13:27 off a Kirill Kaprizov pass. That finish lifted Zuccarello to 70 points, making him the sixth player in Wild history to reach the plateau.
But the Wild unraveled after that.
On the very next shift after Zuccarello's goal, the Wild was back in the penalty box and again Nashville took advantage on the power play when Ryan Johansen was left all alone in front of Fleury to direct in a Filip Forsberg feed at 13:52.
Then with 57 seconds left in the first, Johansen tipped in a Josi shot for another power play marker. The three power play goals in a period tied a Predators record, the first time they've accomplished the feat since Nov. 18, 2006.
Nashville didn't score on its next power play, awarded after an interference penalty called against Matt Dumba, but five seconds after the Wild was back at full strength Rosi set up Philip Tomasino for a one-timer 6:06 into the second period.
To make matters worse for the Wild, Dumba left the game after that penalty — a shoulder check on Michael McCarron — and did not return after suffering an upper-body injury.
Before the second ended, the Wild did get one goal closer to the Predators with its own power play tally during a 5-on-3 look after Kaprizov buried his own rebound at 17:51.
The goal was Kaprizov's team-leading 11th on the power play and 40th overall, which is two shy of matching the Wild's single season record. Over his past eight games, Kaprizov has eight goals and 11 points.
Zuccarello and captain Jared Spurgeon assisted on the goal, with the helper Zuccarello's 50th to tie Pierre-Marc Bouchard's record set in 2007-08. Spurgeon is now on a career-high five-game assist streak.
With 6:32 to go in the third, Matt Duchene scored off the rush before Johansen polished off a hat trick with seven seconds left.
This road trip for the Wild wraps up on Friday against another Central Division rival in the Blues.
