It is a game five game night at Bridgestone Arena as the Nashville Predators begin the task of digging out from a 1-3 hole in their first round series against the Chicago Blackhawks. This has been a mirror of the season series between these two teams, two games in OT, both won by Chicago, Preds won the second game of the season series. The games have mirrored, from a performance standard, where the Blackhawks have not necessarily been better, but have gotten the result they are looking for, three out of four wins.
History will have to be overcome if this series is to continue, the Predators are 0-4 when down 3-1 in a series and that doesn’t include a game five loss that has haunted the Predators against this very same team. It was five years ago tomorrow when the Predators had the Hawks on the ropes in round one, game five at the United Center with the series tied at 2… and lost the game in OT, then proceeded to drop the series in six. A series that Nashville should’ve won.
The Predators have a chance for redemption and to give the Blackhawks one to think about for the next few years… The keys for this game for Nashville to send this series back to Chicago remain the same… forecheck the hell out of the Hawks and get traffic in front of Scott Darling. The Predators have gotten pucks past Darling… take the lesson from last night’s Blues/Wild game as St. Louis lit up Devan Dubnyk… everyone is beatable… everyone.
Oh, and one more key… feed off the crowd at Bridgestone Arena tonight. Another sellout in Smashville (without “help… from a certain bandwagon) will greet the Preds and Smashville is ready to bring the noise. Home ice advantage needs to be taken advantage of, like the team did in the first sixty games of the regular season.
Pekka Rinne was outstanding in game four, he needs to be just as outstanding in game five. It would be nice to get Mike Fisher and Shea Weber back in the lineup, but no word is available on either player as of this writing. I am sure we will learn more at the Preds day of game skate at 11am this morning.
Chicago wants to end this series tonight, keeping Nashville around will be nothing but bad for the Blackhawks so they will be supremely focused on closing this series out. Nashville needs to focus on one game, one period, one shift at a time because a loss ends a season that started with such promise. The desperation factor needs to be on Nashville’s side.
It should be a loud one tonight. Game time is 8:30pm, puck drop at around 8:45pm. Coverage on Fox Sports Tennessee and 102.5 the Game / Predators Radio Network.
Here’s the preview from nhl.com
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Random Notes
- Predators head coach Peter Laviolette has been here before, his 2010 Philadelphia Flyers were down 3-0 to the Boston Bruins and they reeled off four straight to win the series.
- Nine players called up from Milwaukee, the Predators now have their black aces for the rest of the playoffs. They are goalies Marek Mazanec and Magnus Hellberg. Blueliners Joe Piskula, Anthony Bitetto, and Johan Alm. Forwards Rich Clune, Colton Sissons, Viktor Arvidsson and Austin Watson. That is fairly common practice after the farm team finishes their season.
- A great crowd came out to Signature Air to welcome back the Predators yesterday afternoon.
- When a game six in this series happens, it will probably be in prime time on NBC Saturday night.
- You have to give the Pittsburgh Penguins credit, they found their heart. It’s not going to be enough, but they are going down fighting.
- The first one through is the Anaheim Ducks, completing the sweep last night at MTS Centre.
- In all the celebration of playoff hockey returning to Winnipeg, the fact remains… this franchise continues its playoff futility having not won a playoff game in franchise history.
- Wow… did St. Louis light up Devan Dubnyk last night or what? The question now is how badly was Dubnyk shaken up and how does he bounce back? Especially under the hot lights of the playoffs.
- Absolutely insane goal from Vladimir Tarasenko last night, check it out…
- Big win for Ottawa to stave off elimination last night.
Four games tonight with national coverage options… - Tampa Bay @ Detroit – DET leads tied 2-1 – 6pm CDT faceoff – NBCSN, CBC - New York Islanders @ Washington – Series tied 2-2 – 6pm CDT faceoff – CNBC, SN - Chicago @ Nashville – CHI leads 3-1 – 8:30pm CDT faceoff – NBCSN, SN360 - Calgary @ Vancouver – CGY leads 3-1 – 9pm CDT faceoff – CNBC, CBC
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