Spurgeon lifts Wild to OT win against Predators

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Jared Spurgeon scored 1:00 into overtime, and the Minnesota Wild defeated the Nashville Predators 3-2 at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday.

Spurgeon took a backhand pass from Kirill Kaprizov on a 2-on-1 and scored with a one-timer from between the circles.

“It was sort of a surprise to me too, but such a great pass,” said Spurgeon, the Wild captain. “I just try to get it off as soon as possible. Lucky it went in.

“To get back-to-back games here with wins is huge for us. A Central Division opponent as well, so big points for us. We’re happy with it.”

Spurgeon and Kaprizov each had a goal and an assist, and Declan Chisholm also scored for Minnesota (16-4-4), which defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 on Friday and has won three straight. Filip Gustavsson made 25 saves.

“I really liked the effort,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “I thought it was a hard-fought game by both teams. You go back and look at every situation, special teams, 5-on-5, goaltending on both teams, the physicality of the game. I think the competitiveness of it, it was two teams that went to battle tonight and glad we could find a way to get the two points.”

Roman Josi had two assists, and Ryan O'Reilly and Fedor Svechkov scored for Nashville (7-12-6), which lost its fourth straight (0-1-3) including a 3-2 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday. Juuse Saros made 25 saves starting for the second straight day.

“It was a fun hockey game,” Predators coach Andrew Brunette said. “Even game. Had some opportunities. Didn’t capitalize, couldn’t really get that third one. Kind of haunted us all year, and I thought we had some really good chances to get it, and it didn’t happen again tonight. But I think a lot to feel good about the last four, last five (games) that I thought we looked little bit more like us, and I like the way we transitioned. I like the way that we moved the puck. I thought we looked fast. We played fast, just not getting rewarded for it right now.

“The game’s challenging us right now, and they’re hoping we’ll go away but we keep coming back.”

Chisholm gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 18:57 of the first period with his first goal of the season, scoring on a slap shot from the point that went in off the left post.

Svechkov tied it 1-1 42 seconds later with his first NHL goal in his fifth game. He scored with a one-timer in the right face-off circle at 19:39 off a feed from Luke Evangelista.

“I was so excited,” Svechkov said. “Last couple games I had couple scoring chances and I feel like I can score and do more on the ice. I have to show more and I hope it’s going to come. More goals and more points.”

O’Reilly put Nashville ahead 2-1 at 2:29 of the second period, deflecting a Steven Stamkos pass on the power play.

Kaprizov tied it 2-2 on the man-advantage at 8:24, redirecting Marco Rossi’s pass at the doorstep.

“Another disappointing game,” O’Reilly said. “We competed tonight, stuck with it. But the last few games we’re only scoring two goals and it’s tough because Juuse gave us a chance and we’re just all fighting it. I know for myself, too, I’m not nearly contributing the way I want offensively on 5-on-5. Don’t generate enough or get those big timely goals.

“It’s just like we can’t get over that hump. That next goal is huge for us and it’s frustrating. We get it to OT and hope we can squeak it out there and we just don’t, and it’s just extremely frustrating.”

NOTES: Josi has 108 multi-assist games, the second most among all defenseman since making his NHL debut in 2011-12, behind Erik Karlsson (123). He also became the first player in Predators history to record a point streak of at least five games 20 different times. The only active defensemen with as many five-plus game point streaks are Brent Burns (24) and Karlsson (22). … Justus Annunen backed up Saros after being traded from the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday with a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft for goaltender Scott Wedgewood. … Kaprizov has four points (two goals, two assists) in a three-game point streak.