WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS/GAME 2 Chicago Blackhawks At Nashville Predators 8:30PM Central NBC Sports/RSN/TVA/CSN-Chicago/SPSO/TVA Sports 3
THE BUZZ
There’s lots of it.
First of all, Hawk fans need to be prepared that the odds are highly in favor of a Preds’ win tonight. It is just very unusual that with two teams this evenly matched, the road team will go up 2-0 before returning home.
It’s their building. Their backs are to the wall.
Yet, much stranger things have happened than a Hawk win tonight.
And the Preds apparently have a slightly tougher slog tonight as there are reports Mike Fisher’s lower body injury is serious enough to force him out of the lineup. Matt Cullen, who has experience in the middle, likely takes his place. That said, Hawk fans know all too well the disadvantages of not matching up well at center in the playoffs. Fisher was/is the guy Preds’ coach Peter LaViolette was counting on to counter Jonathan Toews. Every top team has “those guys…: Ryan Kesler, David Backes, Mikko Koivu, Patrice Bergeron. Cullen really isn’t one of those guys. Paul Gaustad can win draws with the best of them, but his mobility and skill limitations make him a very poor matchup versus Toews in all but limited defensive zone situations. Calle Jarnkrok, while fast and skilled, can’t come close to matching Toews physically.
Some other things to watch tonight:
CRAWFORD RETURNS
Corey Crawford was the unfortunate recipient of a full-scale assault in the first period Wednesday night. And he also didn’t handle it very well. That said, now that everyone’s had a taste of the playoffs, the Hawks and Crawford should be a lot more prepared for what Nashville will throw at them, especially early on tonight.
If Crawford falters again, you will see Scott Darling again, simple as that.
NASHVILLE BLUELINERS
The Hawks’ bottom six forwards appeared to be targeting Shea Weber, Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis for big hits Wednesday night. Weber and Ellis in particular seemed bothered and retaliatory. It’s a safe bet you will see Bryan Bickell, Andrew Shaw and Joakim Nordstrom trying the same things tonight. Bickell, especially, delivered some crushing hits on Nashville defensemen—the variety that add up over the course of a series, building fatigue, mistakes and penalties. Josi and Ellis have not spent much time in this part of the forest—with 13 playoff games between them. Their mental and physical toughness will be tested over and over.
CHICAGO BLUELINERS
Michal Rozsival and Kimmo Timonen were at best shaky Wednesday. LaViolette will definitely try to get Mike Ribeiro, James Neal or any speed forwards he has out there against these guys as much as possible.
KANE
Patrick Kane piles up points like nobody’s business. Two assists Wednesday night and he really didn’t look 100%. Assuming his collarbone is OK, and he was just shaking off rust as he maintained after Game 1, Kane should look better tonight and going forward in the series.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Chicago
Saad Toews Hossa Versteeg Richards Kane Bickell Shaw Sharp Nordstrom Kruger Teravainen
Keith Hjalmarsson Oduya Seabrook Timonen Rozsival
Crawford
Nashville
Forsberg Ribeiro Smith Wilson Cullen Neal Stalberg Jarnkrok Santorelli Bourque Gaustad Beck
Josi Weber Ekholm Jones Volchenkov Ellis
Rinne
All for now, I’ll recap tomorrow
JJ
Check out Hockey Streams. See NHL, AHL and CHL streamed in HD right to your computer, tablet or gaming device for a small donation: http://www.hockeystreams.com/ref/51981