ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Craig Smith had two goals and two assists for Nashville, and the Predators finished the season strong with a 7-3 win over the playoff-bound Minnesota Wild on Sunday night.

The Wild wrapped up the first wild card spot in the Western Conference earlier in the week and already had their first-round matchup with the Colorado Avalanche set before the game, so there were few motivators other than the maintenance of health and momentum and maybe a statistical milestone or two.

Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, though, didn't do himself or the Wild any good with this shaky performance, as meaningless as the game was against a Predators team that missed the playoffs for a second straight year. Nashville went 9-1-2 in its final 12 games, including eight regulation wins, but finished in 10th place.

DAVE CAMPBELL, AP Sports Writer

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