ST PAUL, Minn. — Roman Josi scored twice to establish a career high with 17 goals for the season, leading the Nashville Predators past Minnesota 6-2 on Sunday night to spoil the start of a franchise-record nine-game homestand for the Wild.
Filip Forsberg had two goals and an assist, Philip Tomasino added a goal and an assist and Nick Cousins had a goal and two assists for Nashville (34-21-4), which tied Minnesota (34-20-4) for third place in the Central Division. St. Louis is in second, four points up. The Wild have played one fewer game than the Blues and the Predators.
Matt Boldy and Jordan Greenway scored for the Wild, who are 4-9-1 in their last 14 games. They were frequently stonewalled by Predators goalie David Rittich, who stopped 26 shots with help from Josi, the All-Star and captain, and the rest of the defensemen.
Not only did the Predators snap back from a 7-4 loss to St. Louis at home the night before and keep the Wild on their heels, they put a damper on an energetic evening at Xcel Energy Center that began with the jersey retirement ceremony for former captain and center Mikko Koivu. The native of Finland and 2001 first-round draft pick became the first player in Wild history to have his number set aside.
One of Koivu's former teammates, Mikael Granlund, joined him and Wild captain Jared Spurgeon at mid-ice for the ceremonial puck drop. Granlund sat on the visiting team bench to watch the pregame event and, a few hours later, set up Josi for an insurance goal on a power play 65 seconds into the third period with his slap shot from just inside the blue line.
Greenway tied the game at 2 midway through the second by taking Marcus Foligno's pass on a rush up the right wing and burying the puck past Rittich's blocker.
Merely 50 seconds later, Tomasino gave the Predators the lead again with his backhander off a rebound deflected out in front by Wild backup goalie Kaapo Kahkonen.
Forsberg and Cousins tacked on empty-netters in the final 2 1/2 minutes. Kahkonen, who made 19 saves, started his second straight game. He is 0-5-1 in his last six starts.
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