Postgame Hat Trick: Predators 6, Wild 2

Wild.com's Dan Myers gives three takeaways from the Wild's 6-2 loss against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Tuesday night:

1. All good things must come to an end
For the first time in 23 days -- since the last time these clubs met in mid-March -- the Wild tasted a regulation defeat, as the loss snapped a 10-game point streak.
It also was the first time on this four-game road trip against playoff opponents that the Wild has tasted defeat of any kind, after thorough victories in Carolina and Washington concluded the team's Eastern Conference schedule.
The hope was that those wins provided momentum into the critical Central Division back half of the trip ... but that was not the case, at least not yet. Now the Wild will try and finish off a winning trip Friday night in St. Louis when it plays the Blues.
Minnesota was unable to mount a winning game plan against the Predators, who have struggled to defend -- especially early -- over the past couple of weeks.
Roman Josi got the scoring started with a power-play goal 5:10 into the game.
That was an unfortunate trend that would continue.

Mats Zuccarello did knot the game at 13:27, but a penalty on the very next shift put Nashville back on the power play, where it promptly capitalized on Ryan Johansen's first of the night just 35 seconds after the Wild had drawn even.
Another power-play goal by Johansen with under a minute to play in the first gave the Preds a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes.
At 5-on-5, Minnesota was the superior team all night. Unfortunately, it couldn't keep the game even-up for long enough stretches to make a difference. The Wild set a club record with 49 shots on goal in the game, besting the previous mark of 48.
"It's such a contrast. We talked about it after the Washington game and even the Carolina game, if games stay like that, we're real good," said Wild coach Dean Evason. "If it turns into a special teams, skill matchup, and we feel we have skill. We're built for 5 on5 and although we have to get better if and when we get to the playoffs, that's the type of game it's going to be. So we like our group."
Nashville made it 4-1 on a goal by Philip Tomasino six minutes into the second, just a few seconds after a Nashville power play had expired.
"It wasn't good," Wild forward Marcus Foligno said of the team's penalty kill. "Ekker and I we've got to be better. Give credit to them, they've got a lot of great players on that unit ... But it's tough. You look at all those penalties and some of them are wishy washy. Give us one or two back and it's a different game, right?"

The Wild would draw back within two on a Kirill Kaprizov marker late in the second, but hit a couple of posts and couldn't otherwise draw more blood on Predators goaltender Juuse Saros.
Kaprizov's goal capped a 5-on-3 power play, and the Wild had several chances to draw nearer the rest of that man advantage and the final couple minutes before intermission.
"If we get to 3, I think everything's a different ball game. But we didn't and they come down, great shot obviously and kind of put the game away," Evason said. "But we still had great looks at the end as well but we needed that one more. If we get to one goal game, we like our chances at the end."
Matt Duchene would add the dagger with under seven minutes to play in regulation, pushing the lead to 5-2 and Johansen would finish his hat trick with an empty-net goal with six seconds remaining.
"You gotta win against the division. That's how you win to get far in the playoffs," Foligno said. "You're gonna clash with these guys again. Yeah, we gotta do something next time against Nashville."
2. Fight night in The Music City
Minnesota is third in the NHL in fighting majors this season, entering the game Tuesday with 31. But that total is far behind NHL-leading Nashville, which entered the game with 49.
The Wild is a different-looking team since the last time the clubs met in St. Paul three weeks ago, adding heft in the forms of Nicolas Deslauriers and Jake Middleton.

And wouldn't you know it, these two clubs that don't mind mixing it up ... decided to mix it up, early and often.
Middleton was the first to drop the mitts, fighting the 6-foot-6, 235-pound Michael McCarron.
On the very next shift, 27 seconds later, Marcus Foligno and Mark Borowiecki went at it.
Eight minutes after that, and moments after Borowiecki was freed from his first five-minute major, he and Deslauriers bloodied each other with a big-time bout.
Then, 3:24 into the second period, Brandon Duhaime and Jeremy Lauzon engaged in fisticuffs.

"I think it's just what the game is, two big teams playing each other," Deslauriers said. "I think any type of teams we're not afraid to bring the physicality, and tonight was just both sides responding."
Minnesota said it wasn't trying to send a specific message and that the animosity developed in real time, based on things that were happening in the game.
"I don't think we initiated any of the fights to be honest with you," Evason said. "Maybe D-Lo's at the end he was trying to join the party. I don't think we were looking for it. I think maybe it was more on their side. I don't know. But if it goes to that, we're fine."
3. Dumba goes down
In addition to losing the hockey game, the Wild could have to go without defenseman Matt Dumba for a bit after he left the game in the second period following an open-ice hit that appeared to sting him up high.
Dumba was immediately uncomfortable after the hit, in which he was penalized for interference ... a hit Evason insisted was clean and should not have been penalized.

"But that call in particular it wouldn't have made a difference but like that is not a penalty," Evason said. "He passes the puck, he finishes his check. That's not a penalty and obviously they scored at the end of it not on it but that was a big point in the hockey game."
The more important development on the play however was that Dumba was immediately uncomfortable, heading down the tunnel instead of to the penalty box.
Dumba didn't play the rest of the game, and Evason insinuated he's concerned he could be a bit.
"It's upper body. Doesn't look good. That's about it," Evason said. "I don't know the status. It just doesn't look good."

Minnesota is already shorthanded on the backend after Jon Merrill sustained an upper-body injury against Pittsburgh last week.
Jordie Benn would seem to be in line to re-join the lineup should Dumba be out.
"It's frustrating to lose a guy like that," Foligno said. "You can't replace a guy like that. It's tough, but hey, we got guys that are waiting (and) excited to play. And if they have to play and step in for a couple games for Dums, then so be it.
"It's tough when you lose guys like that, guys in the top four. We're hoping he's back sooner rather than later, but we got some guys that are waiting to contribute and that's what [Wild GM Bill Guerin] did at the deadline to make sure we had the depth."

Loose pucks

• Kaprizov's goal was his 40th of the season, moving him alone into third on the team's single-season goal chart, two behind the team record
• Zuccarello assisted on Kaprizov's goal for his 50th assist of the season, tying Pierre-Marc Bouchard's club record
• Zuccarello became the sixth Wild player to eclipse 70 points in a season
• Jared Spurgeon had one assist to extend his point streak to five games
• Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves, losing his first start in a Minnesota sweater
• Tomasino had two assists to go with his goal
• Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi also had three-point games
• Saros made 47 saves in the victory

Dan's three stars

1. Roman Josi
   2. Ryan Johansen
   3. Matt Duchene

Highlights