Predators fall 6-2 at home

Undisciplined. Unhappy. Unacceptable.

That about summed up the play and the mood of the Nashville Predators following a 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at the Sommet Center.

Nashville (11-10-2) tied a franchise record with five power play goals allowed as its players went to the penalty box 16 times for a season-high 46 minutes. The result was 11 shorthanded situations overall, including three 5-on-3s.

“We’ve been taking too many penalties for a while now,” captain Jason Arnott said. “We’re taking 5-on-3s every single game, and when you do that … they’ve got an unbelievable power play.

“We even discussed it before the game to stay out of the box. I don’t know, we got in penalty trouble again, and they capitalized on it.”

Minnesota (14-7-1) came into the game with the league’s eighth-best power play, having converted on 21.4 percent of its opportunities. Nashville had NHL’s best penalty killing success at home (89.5 percent) and had allowed just four power play goals in eight previous home games.

The Wild quickly capitalized on their first two opportunities – 35 seconds apart in the first period – and continued to take advantage with one in the second and two more in the final six minutes of the third.

“We got beat by a good power play, took way too many penalties and we compounded our problems,” coach Barry Trotz said. “… The last two goals were just us looking for an excuse, just too undisciplined.”

Minnesota jumped to second in the league behind Detroit with 24 power play goals for the season.

The only other time Nashville allowed five power play goals in a single game was Oct. 7, 2006, a 6-5 loss at Minnesota.

“It’s tough to comment on this game,” goalie Dan Ellis said. “We didn’t play very smart. We kind of bit ourselves in the butt. When you go into the box as many times as we did against one of the (top) power plays in the league, you have to expect to give that team a little bit of life.”

Jordin Tootoo had a team-high 11 penalty minutes, including four in one shot – roughing and goaltender interference at 12:14 of the first period. Shea Weber had nine penalty minutes with two minors and a fighting major, and Joel Ward was assessed a double minor for high sticking. In all, 10 of Nashville’s 18 skaters were called for at least one penlty.

Trotz declined comment on Tootoo’s play, but none of Minnesota’s goals came when he was in the box. Three happened when Weber was off, including the first two after he fought with Craig Weller but was assessed an extra two minutes for roughing.

Ryan Suter was sent to the box at the same time as Weber for unsportsmanlike conduct, which turned the Wild’s first power play into a two-man advantage. Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored 15 seconds later to end Suter’s stay in the box, and Andrew Brunette made it 2-0 with 1:10 left on the minor to Weber.

“We knew they had a good power play.” Weber said. “It’s something we have to deal with and control ourselves. We can’t be in the box. We know they can do some damage.”