*Photo from the Glens Falls Post Star*
With Juuse Saros needing rest and David Rittich out, it was Connor Ingram's time to shine. Ingram saved 33 shots, Ryan Johansen scored twice, and the Nashville Predators defeated the Minnesota Wild 5-2 on Sunday night.
Ingram, who saved 33 out of 35 shots in his NHL debut, became the second goalie in Predators history to win his NHL debut, the first being Pekka Rinne in 2005. Ingram was selected in the 3rd round of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. After Nico Sturm scored in the second period, Ingram held the fort from there.
Nashville captain Roman Josi said of the win that "We definitely wanted to keep going and not let them come back. We knew how dangerous they were. Although they got the first goal in the second, I thought we did a good job still creating chances, still being aggressive, and I think that was key."
In the first period, Josi got the fun started for the Predators, scoring on the power play 3:45 into the game, with his 3rd goal of the season making it a 1-0 lead. Johansen then scored on the power play himself, making it a 2-0 game 2:11 after Josi scored. At the 12:25 mark, Johansen scored his second of the night and 3rd of the season, giving the Predators a 3 goal lead after 20 minutes of hockey.
In the second period, Nick Bjugstad scored his first goal of the season 11:30 into the period, getting the Wild on the board and making it a 3-1 game. Filip Forsberg then made it 4-1 Predators when he scored 13:15 into the second. Tanner Jeannot then made it 5-1 on a midair goal with 1:25 left in the period. Sturm then made it 5-2 when he scored with just 3 seconds left in the period.
Nashville head coach John Hynes said "We've talked with our group that you're going to go through an 82-game season and there's times where you're playing pretty well and you have substance in your game but maybe you're not finding ways to win or goals aren't going in. I think if you stay with it, which our guys did, you're eventually going to get rewarded. I think there was real true, honest belief and assessment in our game and in our locker room, and tonight I think we put together that effort."
Kaapo Kahkonen got the start in net for the Wild, his first of the season, and did not fare well in his start. Kahkonen saved just 24 out of the 29 shots he saw from the Predators, posting a meager .828 save percentage as he dropped to 0-1-0 this season.
Sturm said of the loss that "I think today was one of those nights where it's like the harder we tried it seemed like we were kind of spinning the wheels in the sand there. It was like the harder we tried the less it seemed like it was going to go our way. We just didn't keep it simple enough, and just overall did a poor job playing in front of Kaapo."
The Wild face the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night in Vancouver, with Cam Talbot getting the start. Saros will return to the goalie crease for the Predators on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks.
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