NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One team already knew its first-round playoff opponent, and the other was still trying to advance.

There was no confusing who was who.

The Nashville Predators held off the Minnesota Wild 2-1 Saturday at Bridgestone Arena for the Wild’s second consecutive loss.

The loss made it official that the Wild will finish third in the Central Division and begin the first round of the playoffs at Dallas.

Steven Stamkos had a goal and assist for the Predators, Matthew Wood also scored, and Nashville backup goalie Justus Annunen denied all but one of the 22 shots by the Wild. Former Predators forward Michael McCarron had the Wild’s only goal, in the third period.

Jesper Wallstedt was in net for the Wild, making 20 saves against Nashville, which remained out of a playoff spot but moved one point back of the second and final wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

After Dallas defeated the Wild two days earlier to all but lock up home-ice advantage for the teams’ impending playoff series, the Wild rested captain Jared Spurgeon, Mats Zuccarello and Joel Eriksson Ek.

Bobby Brink and Nico Sturm subbed in at forward, while Dameon Hunt played his first game on defense since March 1.

How it happened

The Predators’ urgency was noticeable from the get-go.

They outshot the Wild 14-7 in the first period but connected just once, on a wrap-around by Stamkos after a give-and-go with Luke Evangelista with 4:59 to go in the period.

Then 6:34 into the second, the Wild got caught chasing in their own zone, and Nashville cashed in on the pressure when Wood wristed in the puck from the right faceoff circle.

Finally in the third, the Wild converted when McCarron buried the rebound from a Jonas Brodin point shot 6:54 into the period.

The goal was the second for McCarron since the Wild acquired him in a trade with Nashville on March 3 for a 2028 second-round draft pick.

McCarron, who had been with the Nashville organization since 2020, was acknowledged by the Predators with a welcome back video during a break in the action.

Turning point

Not long after McCarron cut the Wild’s deficit in half, the Wild had a chance on the equalizer when Ryan O’Reilly was penalized for slashing.

But the Wild blanked on the opportunity, their first and only of the game; their best look was actually a shot by Quinn Hughes off the post before the power play officially started, while the Wild still had possession of the puck after O’Reilly’s penalty.

Nashville went 0 for 4 on the power play.

Key stat

The Wild are still one of only three teams that haven’t been shut out this season; Boston and Los Angeles are the others.

Up next

This road trip wraps up Monday at St. Louis, in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

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