Ryan Johansen Nets First NHL Hat Trick as Predators defeat Wild to gain ground in Central Division
NASHVILLE, TN – Ryan Johansen scored his first NHL hat trick, Juuse Saros made 47 saves, and the Nashville Predators defeated the Minnesota Wild 6-2 at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday.
Johansen gave Nashville a 2-1 lead at 13:52 of the first period, redirecting a pass from Filip Forsberg at the top of the crease on the power play. He extended the lead to 3-1 at 19:03, redirecting a slap pass from Roman Josi for another power-play goal, and added an empty-net goal at 19:53 of the third for the 6-2 final.
“Yeah, awesome to get it in a big game, and at home here, too,” said Johansen, who was playing in his 774th NHL game. “It was really cool. It’s been a long time, so it was nice to get it.”
