Stamkos leads Predators past Wild 2-1, locking Minnesota into the West’s third seed

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored a goal and added an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 victory over Minnesota on Saturday, locking the Wild into the third seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs.

Matthew Wood also scored and Justus Annunen made 21 saves for the Predators, 4-1-1 in their last six.

Minnesota will face the Dallas Stars in the first round of the playoffs.

Michael McCarron scored and Jesper Wallstedt made 20 saves for the Wild, losers of two straight.

The Predators are now three points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the Western Conference’s second wild card. The Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers earlier Saturday. Nashville has two games remaining and the Kings three.

Stamkos scored the game’s first goal with 4:59 remaining in the opening period on a wraparound tucked just inside the left post.

The goal was the 40th of the season for Stamkos, the eighth time in his career that he’s scored 40 or more.

Wood made it 2-0 at 6:34 of the second after Stamkos corralled the rebound of Nick Perbix's shot and found Wood in the slot, where he beat Wallstedt with a wrist shot.

McCarron, traded by Nashville to Minnesota prior to this season’s trade deadline, scored at 6:54 of the third to avoid the Wild’s first shutout of the season. It was his second post-trade goal.

The Wild did not dress forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello or defenseman Jared Spurgeon for the game.

Nashville captain Roman Josi returned to the lineup after missing Thursday night’s game against the Utah Mammoth with an upper-body injury.

Wild at St. Louis on Monday night.

Predators host San Jose on Monday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5) moves the puck away from Nashville Predators center Fedor Svechkov (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Nashville Predators defenseman Justin Barron (20) and Minnesota Wild center Yakov Trenin (13) chase the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) blocks a shot by Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) keeps Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) away from the net during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Nashville Predators center Steven Stamkos (91) is congratulated after scoring against the Minnesota Wild during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

NEW YORK (AP) — Ridly Greig scored a short-handed goal, Linus Ullmark stopped all 23 shots he faced and the Ottawa Senators shut out the New York Islanders 3-0 on Saturday.

Ottawa got into the playoffs a few hours later when Detroit lost at home in regulation to New Jersey and the Red Wings were eliminated. The Islanders' hopes took another hit with a fifth loss in six games.

Senators captain Brady Tkachuk took a puck up high late in the second period, returned for one shift in the third and then did not return. Coach Travis Green said Tkachuk was not feeling well.

Greig made it a 1-0 game with 6:54 remaining in the first. Jake Sanderson scored in the third, and Michael Amadio sealed it with an empty-netter. The Islanders went 0 for 5 on the power play.

New York is now 1-1 since firing coach Patrick Roy and hiring Peter DeBoer as his replacement. Ilya Sorokin allowed two goals on 15 shots.

Senators: Visit the Devils on Sunday night.

Islanders: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

New York Islanders' Casey Cizikas (53) reacts after an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) and Drake Batherson (19) celebrate with teammates after Sanderson scored a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) and Thomas Chabot (72) protects the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Islanders' Casey Cizikas (53) fihts with Ottawa Senators' Dylan Cozens (24) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ottawa Senators' Jake Sanderson (85) celebrates with Claude Giroux (28) after scoring a goal as New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) watches during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)