Predators 4, Wild 0
Nick Spaling tallied twice and Pekka Rinne turned aside 19 shots for his 20th career shutout as the Nashville Predators skated to a 4-0 home triumph over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.
Martin Erat and Joel Ward collected a goal and an assist apiece as Nashville (34-24-10) netted three quick goals in the first period and cruised to victory. With the triumph, the Predators moved past the Anaheim Ducks (36-26-5) and Wild (35-26-7) and are one point out of eighth place in the Western Conference standings.
David Legwand, who notched a pair of assists in this one, now has four goals and 10 assists in his last 14 contests.
Ward and Spaling scored 48 seconds apart to give the Predators a quick 2-0 lead just 4:01 into the contest.
Erat extended the cushion to three and his points streak to four with his 12th goal of the season at 12:32 of the session. The 29-year-old Czech has two goals and five assists during his hot streak.
The early offensive outburst was enough for Rinne, who picked up his sixth shutout of the season and improved to 6-2-1 in his career against the Wild.
Niklas Backstrom finished with 27 saves to suffer his first loss in four career decisions against the Predators.