The Preds got out to a good start in this pivotal Central Division matchup. While the Wild’s Connor Dewar drew first blood, against the flow of play, at 9:51 of the first period, the Preds responded promptly and immediately with a pair of goals eight seconds apart from Yakov Trenin and Cole Smith, putting Nashville up 2-1 less than a minute after Dewar’s goal.
The game slowed down after that, coasting gently into the first intermission with a few back-and-forths, but emerged from intermission having heated up in terms of temper, if not speed. Ryan O’Reilly and Zach Bogosian exchanged hostilities a few minutes in and both took a seat for roughing, then Marcus Johansson took a hooking penalty and the Preds got a power play.