Granlund hat trick propels Wild against Predators

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Mikael Granlund scored a hat trick, and Devan Dubnyk made 41 saves for the Minnesota Wild in a 4-2 win against the Nashville Predators at Xcel Energy Center on Friday.

Granlund scored at 7:34 of the first period for a 1-0 lead and again on the power play at 11:09 to make it 2-1. He scored his third into an empty net with 51 seconds remaining in the third period to make it 4-2.
Matt Dumba also scored for Minnesota (20-15-3).
WATCH: [All Predators vs. Wild highlights]
"It was a good start," said Granlund, who has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his past 11 games. "I think it was the best start of the year for us. It makes it easier … when you have a start like that and put the pressure on early."

P.K. Subban and Kyle Turris scored for Nashville (22-10-5), which has lost four of five (1-4-0).
Dubnyk was making his return, having missed six games because of a lower-body injury before backing up Alex Stalock in a 4-2 win against the Dallas Stars on Wednesday.
Subban tied it 1-1 for Nashville at 10:16 of the first with a slap shot that slipped behind Dubnyk.
"After the first goal, you could have thought, 'First game back, oh, my God, how rusty is [Dubnyk]?'" Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "But he made some really good saves. It was really good that they had a lot of long shots so he could get the feel of it back again. That was great. But he stood tall. He did a great job."

It appeared Dumba had given Minnesota a 3-1 lead 47 seconds into the second period, but the call was overturned on a coach's challenge when it was determined Eric Staal interfered with Predators goalie Pekka Rinne (34 saves).
Dumba did score on a wrist shot from the point at 13:14 of the second that made it 3-1.
Turris scored on the power play at 2:52 of the third to make it 3-2.
"We needed to be better," Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. "The urgency wasn't there that we needed to [have]. When you enter a game mentally and physically you've got to be ready for the wars and the battles and we were slow to get out of a hole tonight. They were first everywhere.
"There's no excuse, it's got to be better. We're not going to win games by giving away first periods."

The Wild have won two straight games and are 9-1-1 in their past 11 at home. They will play the Predators again Saturday in Nashville.
"Right now the Western Conference is so tight, there's no games that you can take off," Dubnyk said. "I think we just need to take whatever preparation we had for this game and look at what was working for us and come out with the same game plan tomorrow. It's about how we play. It's not about how they play."

Goal of the game

Dumba's goal at 13:14 of the second period.

Save of the game

Rinne's save on Chris Stewart at 9:34 of the first period.

Highlight of the game

Turris' goal at 2:52 of the third period.

They said it

"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot. We were asleep all the first period and it cost us tonight. We've all got to look ourselves in the mirror and be accountable." -- Predators forward Colton Sissons
"We wish we could get right back out there now so we'll go home, get some rest and get back to work." -- Predators forward Ryan Johansen
"When he's got that vision going he's hard to stop. He's awesome to watch. This is the [Granlund] we've all come to know and him being one of my good friends I expect that from him." -- Wild defenseman Matt Dumba on forward Mikael Granlund

Need to know

Predators forward Filip Forsberg left the game at 11:20 of the third period and did not return. There was no update after the game. … Granlund had one previous NHL hat trick, in a 6-3 win at the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 4, 2017. … Staal has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in his past 10 games.

What's next

Wild: At the Nashville Predators on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; FS-TN, FS-N, NHL.TV)
Predators: Host the Minnesota Wild on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; FS-TN, FS-N, NHL.TV)