NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ They weren't of the wholesale variety, but the Wild did make changes before reconvening for a new season.
There was the last-minute reset at general manager, a move that stoked optimism since the addition of Bill Guerin seems to have upgraded the culture and camaraderie in just a matter of weeks.
New faces in Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman were injected in the lineup. And captain Mikko Koivu and defenseman Matt Dumba returned healthy from major injuries, status updates that count as significant considering the gaping holes their absences left in the roster last season.
But a fresh start with a different look didn't fumigate a pesky problem, and that's the team's scoring woes.
Aside from a 43-second burst, the Wild's offense skated feebly and the team was sentenced as such � opening the season with a 5-2 loss to the Predators Thursday at Bridgestone Arena that was more lopsided than it rang up.
Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne turned aside 22 shots, with the bulk of that workload coming in the third as the Wild hit desperation mode.
Leading 2-1 to open the final frame, the Predators scored twice in 1 minute, 29 seconds to seal a comeback win.
Former Wild forward Mikael Granlund evened it 27 seconds into the third on a deflection before winger Austin Watson' retook the lead for Nashville at 1:56 on a tip.
At 7:32, winger Viktor Arvidsson chipped in an insurance marker on a one-timer from the slot.
Goalie Devan Dubnyk finished with 27 saves, keeping the score close through the first half before the Wild finally capitalized.
Dubnyk made 14 saves in the first, including a slick kick save on Nashville center Ryan Johansen. One puck did end up behind Dubnyk, but the goal didn't count since it was batted in by a high stick from Granlund.
Dubnyk's best stop of the night came early in the second against Granlund, a puck Dubnyk gloved down windmill style.
He ended up making 17 consecutive saves before the Predators finally solved him, a Filip Forsberg pass that caromed off the outside of defenseman Ryan Ellis' skate and rolled into the net.
After that, the Predators seemed in complete control of the game � playing keep away from the Wild and applying waves of pressure any time the Wild snagged possession.
But a too-many men blunder by Nashville put the Wild on the power play, and that opened the door for the Wild.
A Brad Hunt point shot skimmed winger Jason Zucker's jersey before sailing by Rinne at 16:04 for the first season-opening goal of Zucker's career. Koivu tallied an assist on the play in his return from a torn ACL and meniscus.
Overall, the Wild's power play went 1-for-3 while the team's penalty killers snuffed out two chances for the Predators. The goal snapped a scoreless skid that extended back to last season at 160:53.
Just 43 seconds after Zucker's goal, the Wild moved ahead when Dumba � in his first regular-season appearance since suffering a torn pectoral muscle in December, a layoff of 50 games � walked into a loose puck that flew top-shelf over Rinne.
But the Wild couldn't resurrect that momentum after the intermission, even though Zucker had a few close calls. Shortly before his backhand was kept out by Rinne, Zucker was blanked on a breakaway.
Forsberg buried an empty-netter with 1:26 to go.
