Predators 3, Wild 1
Martin Erat took advantage of a bad bounce and a bad decision by Minnesota goaltender Niklas Backstrom to help give visiting Nashville its first win of the season.
With the score tied midway through the third period, Backstrom skated into the slot to clear a loose puck. But Erat blocked the clearing attempt, skated around a stranded Backstrom and deposited the puck in the net at 11:45 for the go-ahead goal.
Nick Spaling and David Legwand also scored and Chris Mason made 29 saves for the Predators, who opened the season with a pair of shootout losses at home. Dany Heatley scored for the Wild, who suffered their first loss of the season.
Heatley took a pass from Zach Parise, skated into the high slot and fired a wrist shot through a crowd and past a screened Mason 6:02 into the contest to open the scoring. Spaling pounced on a rebound with 3:29 remaining in the session and beat a sprawling Backstrom, who stopped 23 shots.
Legwand scored on a shot from the slot during a power play in the final minute of the third to put the game away.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Former Nashville D Ryan Suter led all Minnesota skaters in ice time but finished as a minus-2. … Perhaps because of Suter’s move in the offseason, bad blood between the two teams was evident early on as Nashville LW Richard Clune and Minnesota C Zenon Konopka fought 2:18 into the contest. … Parise led the Wild with six shots on goal while Erat led the Predators with five.