Josi has 3 points, Predators defeat Wild for 7th straight win

NASHVILLE -- Roman Josi had a goal and two assists for the Nashville Predators, who extended their winning streak to seven games with a 6-1 victory against the Minnesota Wild at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday.

It was Josi’s second straight three-point game; he had two goals and an assist in a 4-1 win against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. The defenseman has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in his past 14 games.

“We’re playing really fast,” said Josi, the Nashville captain. “Especially as [defensemen], you’re getting pucks up quickly. I think for me, I had to figure out kind of a different way to create offense. I think we’re all getting more comfortable with it. It’s a lot of fun to play in this system when we’re all connected like that.”

Juuse Saros made 33 saves for the Predators (34-25-2). Gustav Nyquist and Colton Sissons each had two assists.

Connor Dewar scored for the Wild (28-26-6), who have lost consecutive games. Filip Gustavsson made 25 saves.

“I think at some point we created some chances, but they scored on their chances, and we don’t,” Minnesota forward Mats Zuccarello said. “Obviously, we’re disappointed in here. We come in here and we want to play a good game in an important game. I think it’s important that we don’t get too down. There’s still a lot of games to play.”

Dewar gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 9:51 of the first period on a rebound from the slot that beat Saros on the blocker side.

“I thought from a competitive standpoint, we weren’t close to where we needed to be in a lot of areas of the ice,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “You could arguably say tonight we got what we deserved. We didn’t put enough into the game that gives you a chance to win this time of the year.”

Yakov Trenin tied it 1-1 at 10:40 of the first period on a redirection of a pass from Josi.

Cole Smith gave the Predators a 2-1 lead eight seconds later on a loose puck in the crease after he got around Wild defensemen Declan Chisholm and Jonas Brodin.

“It was just kind of a little bouncing puck in the neutral zone,” Smith said. “I was able to kind of stay on it. When it got to the front of the net, the puck happened to be right there for me. Thankfully, it was there.”

Filip Forsberg made it 3-1 at 17:55 of the second period on a wrist shot from the top of the right circle on the power play. Forsberg’s shot deflected off of Brodin and past Gustavsson.

“I think we’re playing a pretty solid brand of hockey right now,” Forsberg said. “The first period was good, the second period maybe got away from us a little bit with a lot of penalties. But in the third, everybody steps up. Guys that might not have played a ton in the second with all the penalties come out and play phenomenal. Obviously, we shut them down completely in the third. That’s something we’ve got to keep doing.”

Josi gave the Predators a 4-1 lead at 1:32 of the third period on a shot that he banked off of Gustavsson. He got the puck in the left circle, pump-faked a shot and then got around Gustavsson for the bank shot.

Ryan O’Reilly pushed it to 5-1 at 8:03 of the third period on a shot from the slot on a drop pass from Nyquist.

Ryan McDonagh extended it to 6-1 at 13:57 of the third period on a one-timer from the point.

“It was an emotional game,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said. “It had a little bit of everything in it. I thought the equalizing goal at 1-1 was a huge moment in the game. I liked our composure, especially in the second period there when things were getting a little testy, and I loved our third again. We’re showing a little maturity in closing a game out. Lots of good in there for sure.”

NOTES: The Wild and Predators combined for three goals in a span of 57 seconds in the first period. They were the sixth-fastest three goals by two teams this season. … The Predators have scored four or more goals in each game of their winning streak. … Nashville has its third seven-game winning streak (also in 2021-22, 2009-10), matching the third-longest streak in Predators history, (eight games in 2005-06, 10 games in 2017-18).