Takeaways from Nashville Predators 3-1 Loss to Minnesota Wild

The Nashville Predators (0-1-0) started their season with a dud at home against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, losing 3-1. The Wild were spurred on by a good start, with two goals in the first period, from Nick Foligno and Blake Coleman on the power play, and had a third one waved off. In the second period, Roman Josi knocked one in from the point to make it 2-1 at 9:23, but Kirill Kaprizov put a dagger in the game at 4:42 in the third to make it 3-1.

Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt was outstanding, saving 19 of 20 shots for a .950 save percentage (SV%), while Juuse Saros was ok, saving 27 of 30 shots for a .900 SV%. The Predators won more faceoffs than the Wild, but they didn’t generate any offensive momentum outside of the first line.

Un-Special Teams

Unfortunately, the special teams were the difference in this game. The Predators were good on special teams last season, ranking 11th in the league on the power play (23.1% power-play percentage) and fifth on the penalty kill (81.7% penalty-kill percentage). Their special teams were the reason they came close to making the playoffs (they came within four points of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference).

However, their special teams let them down in the season opener. Their penalty kill was alright, allowing one goal to Coleman, the new Wild acquisition, on three attempts, but the power play was not. It went 0-for-4 and couldn’t generate many chances against the Wild’s solid penalty kill. Their only goal came just as the power play expired.

Ross Colton = Wrecking Ball

Nashville’s new acquisitions got to make their first impression on Thursday, and Ross Colton certainly did. The Predators acquired him from the Colorado Avalanche in June; general manager Chris MacFarland, the former Avs GM, is familiar with Colton’s game as an energy forward who can pot goals.

Colton didn’t score a goal, but he was a wrecking ball every shift. He had six hits on the night – sometimes two in one shift – which helped generate turnovers for Nashville to gain momentum, even if they couldn’t capitalize on their chances.

Slow Finish

The Predators took a ton of penalties in the first period, but outside of the penalty kill, they had some good shifts. There were a few miscues, like on the power-play goal, when Wild winger Bobby Brink drew three Nashville defenders and passed it to a wide-open Coleman, but they were slow in the third, and it cost them.

“I thought the first period wasn’t bad, like five-on-five,” Josi told the media post-game. “We took too many penalties; [they] made us pay, and I think the second was kind of some good moments. Some moments where we can be better. I didn’t think our third was good. They kind of had way too much zone time. We couldn’t get our zone a couple of times. I felt like we could’ve pushed more in the third.”

It’s a new season with a lot of new pieces, so it will take time for the Predators to gel, but they need to be much more efficient in the final frame going forward.

Schedule

The Predators play the Dallas Stars at home on Sat. Oct. 3, before going on a lengthy road trip that will span all of next week. They will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 6, the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 8, and the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 10 before heading home to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 13.