NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ Just like the last meeting between these two teams in the season opener, one squad was in control during the first period while the other was overwhelmed.
This time, though, the roles were reversed.
After getting swarmed early on by the Predators in that Oct. 3 matchup, an ominous tone that ultimately came to fruition in a 5-2 loss, the Wild was in charge at the start of the rematch � resuming the habits that helped it string together back-to-back wins.
But not capitalizing on that lopsided pressure came back to bite the Wild, because a better push by the Predators in the second period helped them pull away for a 4-0 victory Thursday at Bridgestone Arena that halted the Wild's momentum in a game that felt very winnable.
Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne pocketed 26 saves for his first shutout of the season and fifth of his career against the Wild, improving to 6-0-1 in the process.
Rinne was especially clutch in that first period when he made 13 saves to keep it scoreless.
He was tested regularly by the Wild, especially on deflected pucks.
Winger Marcus Foligno tipped a puck off the post soon after puck drop, and so did winger Luke Kunin later in the period. Defenseman Matt Dumba also hit the post, while winger Jason Zucker was stymied on a partial break into the Predators' zone.
Captain Mikko Koivu's attempt in the crease was also kept out.
At one point, shots swelled to 9-1 in favor of the Wild.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Alex Stalock � who was starting in place of No.1 Devan Dubnyk while Dubnyk recovers from an upper-body injury suffered after a fall on his back Tuesday in the 3-0 win over the Oilers � turned aside all four shots he faced in the period.
There was also no score in the first frame of that previous game, with the Predators not converting until early in the second.
But this go around, the Wild couldn't maintain its early edge and that opened the door for the Predators to surge ahead on the scoreboard.
Only 37 seconds into the second, winger Miikka Salomaki accepted a drop pass from center Colton Sissons after Sissons shrugged off defenseman Jonas Brodin and wired the puck by Stalock's blocker. The goal came during a delayed penalty against the Wild.
After that, the pace of play slowed down � a shift that didn't exactly suit the Wild since the Predators looked comfortable.
And they padded their lead with 29 seconds to go in the period on another drop-pass sequence. This time, winger Viktor Arvidsson fed winger Calle Jarnkrok and Jarnkrok smashed a shot off the post and in behind Stalock.
Nashville tacked on a third 6:58 into the third when winger Craig Smith was left alone in front of the net to bury the puck by Stalock.
The Wild had a chance to chip away at its deficit on the power play later in the third, but it blanked on both opportunities. Instead, the team surrendered a shorthanded goal to Sissons, who scored on a breakaway at 16:53. The Predators went 0-for-1 with the man advantage.
Stalock ended up with 17 saves.
This was Nashville's sixth straight win over the Wild at home, a span in which the Predators have limited the Wild to a goal or less in four of those meetings.
