NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Nashville Predators might not know who they will play in a potential first-round playoff series.

But after defeating the Minnesota Wild, 3-0, at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday, the Predators are at least on the verge of clinching a postseason berth for the 10th time in 13 years.

The Predators moved to within a point of qualifying for the playoffs and also climbed into a third-place tie in the Central Division with St. Louis.

The Blues, who have a game in hand on the Predators, will host Nashville on Sunday. The team that finishes in third place will avoid a potential showdown with the red-hot Chicago Blackhawks in the first round.

"Obviously for us, the biggest thing is to clinch the playoffs and now we are that much closer," Predators goalie Pekka Rinne said after his 31-save performance. "This has been a demanding week for us, schedule-wise, but I've got to give credit to the guys.

"We knew Minnesota was going to come hard, but we responded well."

Minnesota, meanwhile, continued to struggle down the stretch.

The Wild snapped a four-game losing streak with a win Thursday over Ottawa, but Saturday's loss dropped the club to 2-8-2 in its last 12 games.

However, Minnesota remains comfortably in second place in the Central. It's possible that the Wild and Predators could meet in a first-round playoff series.

"We all know the standings and the situation; that's a good chance that's a team we could be playing in the first round," Minnesota veteran Zach Parise said.

"I don't think we played a bad game. I don't think it was lack of motivation. It was a close game. It was a tight game. Again, we've just got to score on our chances."

Rinne earned his third shutout of the season, while Filip Forsberg and Kevin Fiala scored for Nashville. P.K. Subban added an empty-net goal.

Rinne improved his record to 6-2-0 in the last eight games. He got just enough of a glove on Mikael Granlund's short-range shot in the closing minutes to send the puck off the post, leaving Granlund stunned.

"He's been doing that for years," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said of Rinne. "We get a lot of confidence from him. He's a tremendous goaltender."

It only just 10 seconds for the Predators to completely transform a game that had been scoreless over the first 37 minutes.

Nashville finally managed to get a puck behind Minnesota goalie Alex Stalock with 2:39 left in the second period when Forsberg registered his 31st goal of the season.

Forsberg stationed himself near the Minnesota net after a faceoff and tipped Roman Josi's shot from the point past Stalock.

Only 10 seconds later, Fiala barreled down the right wing, carried the puck on net and slid it in on the far side of Stalock to double the advantage.

"It's a save I've got to make at that time of the game," Stalock said of Fiala's goal. "It's a thing you think about when you are young, not giving up consecutive goals. For it to be that quick, it was really a one-on-one play, me and a player. I lost a battle. It's one I'd like to have back."

The Predators held that 2-0 lead after 40 minutes, which made Laviolette look like a man who knew the future. He told the Predators after the first period that they would lead by that very margin going into the third period.

Nashville has outscored opponents, 97-64, in second periods this season.

"I feel like the boys have a lot of confidence when it comes to the second period," Rinne said. "I'm sure it's in the back of our heads a little bit."

NOTES: The Predators scratched D Yannick Weber, D Brad Hunt, RW P.A. Parenteau, LW James Neal and LW Harry Zolnierczyk. Neal was out because of an upper-body injury after taking a puck to the head in Thursday's loss to Toronto. ... Nashville C Vernon Fiddler and RW Craig Smith returned to the lineup after both missed one game because of injuries. ... Predators LW Colin Wilson played in his 500th NHL game. ... The Wild scratched C Jordan Schroeder, LW Jason Zucker, D Nate Prosser and G Darcy Kuemper. ... Minnesota LW Zach Parise returned to the lineup after missing one game because of an eye injury.