Stamkos scores in OT, Predators edge Wild

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Steven Stamkos scored 53 seconds into overtime, and the Nashville Predators won their third straight game, 3-2 against the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena on Tuesday.

Stamkos scored his third goal in as many games when he tapped in a backdoor pass from Erik Haula as he drove the net past the left pad of Filip Gustavsson.

“I just saw (Haula) get the puck wide, and I just was hoping he saw me and we kind of, he kind of glanced my way and I knew he did and just tried to skate as fast as I could backdoor,” Stamkos said. “Heck of a pass."

Stamkos also had an assist, Ryan O'Reilly had a goal and an assist, and Roman Josi scored for the Predators (16-16-4) who have won four of their past five and improved to 8-3-0 in December. Juuse Saros made 30 saves.

“I thought (Saros) was fantastic, kept it where it was,” Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. “And, you know, I thought we dug in in the third and got a big goal in overtime by ‘Stammer.'”

Brock Faber and Joel Eriksson Ek scored for the Wild (22-10-6), who have lost two in a row (0-1-1) following a seven-game winning streak. Gustavsson made 26 saves.

“Two penalty-kill goals. Didn’t score on our power plays and a 3-on-3 goal. So, I think that was the difference in the game,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said.

Faber opened the scoring at 7:00 of the first period when he beat Saros with a long-distance one-timer off a pass from Quinn Hughes.

O'Reilly tied it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 14:28. Luke Evangelista's shot from the top of the crease rebounded to O'Reilly, who backhanded the puck past Gustavsson.

Josi put the Predators up 2-1 on the power play at 17:07 with a wrist shot from between the circles over Gustavsson's glove.

“Special teams need to get cleaned up,” Faber said. “And I thought we put together a pretty good hockey game."

Eriksson Ek tied it 2-2 just 52 seconds into the second period while on a delayed penalty when he slid a rebound from a Marcus Johansson shot past the right skate of Saros from in front.

“It was a really nice win for us,” Josi said. “I thought first period was really good. They took it to us a little bit in the second, but I liked our third. We had some looks, but we played hard. That’s a really good team over there, and we had to finish like that before Christmas. Was pretty nice.”

NOTES: O'Reilly has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in an eight-game streak. ... Stamkos played his 1,200th NHL game. ... Stamkos scored his 17th career overtime goal and moved into a tie for the seventh-most in NHL history. ... Nashville forward Filip Forsberg extended his point streak to nine games (seven goals, five assists). ... Wild defenseman Brock Faber played his 200th NHL game (96 points; 25 goals, 71 assists). The only other defensemen in franchise history with as many goals through the mark are Mathew Dumba (26) and Marek Zidlicky (25), and the only defensemen with as many points are Ryan Suter (111) and Zidlicky (109).