Hawks vs. Predators
Nashville, TN – The Nashville Predators are being optimistic, just as they have all season in their improbable run to the playoffs.
Yes, they blew the chance to go up 3-2 in their opening-round series with the Chicago Blackhawks along with the opportunity to return home to clinch a trip to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time in the franchise’s history.
Oddsmakers from Online Sportsbook Sportsbook.com have made the Blackhawks –155 money line favorites for Monday’s game against the Predators. Current NHL Public Betting Information shows that 71% of more than 523 bets for this game have been placed on the Blackhawks -155.
Worse, it all happened with 13.6 seconds left. Nashville blew a 4-3 lead while on the power play in the final seconds of regulation, then lost 5-4 in overtime Saturday.
“This game is certainly difficult, the hardest way to lose as possible,” Nashville defenseman Dan Hamhuis said Sunday. “It’s going to take a little bit more to rebound from it. Sometimes when things go really bad, you bounce back even harder and come out with a better effort again.”
The Predators really have been close to this position a few times already this season. The closest to this gut-wrenching loss came March 11 in San Jose. There they blew a 4-2 lead and lost 8-5 after giving up six goals in the third period.
Nashville rebounded with a 1-0 win at Anaheim the next night.
Goaltender Pekka Rinne said this latest loss was almost devastating. Coaches held a quick meeting at the airport after returning to town trying to help the Predators make a clean break with that loss and start gearing up for Game 6 on Monday night.
“We need two more wins. It’s pretty simple, and it starts tomorrow night. Just looking forward to that,” Rinne said.
The Blackhawks flew to Nashville waiting to see if they will have Marian Hossa for this game. He was due for a conference call Sunday with the NHL about possible additional discipline for boarding Hamhuis. Hossa was given a five-minute boarding penalty that Nashville couldn’t convert, and a very sore Hamhuis said he expects to play.
Hossa came out of the box in overtime and scored the game-winning goal – his first in this series.
Chicago coach Joel Quenneville was hopeful that the five-minute major was severe enough that Hossa would not be suspended for a game because he is not a repeat offender.
“He plays hard but physically. I think he’s smart in those areas. I think his track record will verify that,” the coach said.
Nashville coach Barry Trotz said he trusts the NHL to make the fair decision. He also noted Hossa gave his Predators plenty of time during the power play to finish off the win, opportunities they didn’t take.
The Blackhawks now have an elimination game, and they won both of their series a year ago in Game 6, beating Calgary on the road and Vancouver at home to clinch. Center John Madden, who won two Stanley Cups with the New Jersey Devils, said he thinks they need to put the Predators away quickly.
“You don’t want to give anybody a second chance or it will come back and bite you. So the way I’m looking at it is we have to go in there and win this game. I’m not looking ‘Oh we’ll be back in our building for Game 7’ or anything like that. We got to go in and this is the game we got to take,” Madden said.
A big key will be Chicago’s ability to continue killing penalties. Nashville is 0 of 21 on the power play in this series, a drought that reaches 1 of 40 against the Blackhawks counting the regular season. Madden said they’re seeing the Predators try new approaches trying to score that first power-play goal this postseason.
The Blackhawks also expect the Predators to come out flying.
“It’s in their building, and they’re fighting for their lives,” Madden said. “It’s an elimination game and if we win, they’re out. So they’re going to come out and going to be at their best. I think we have to be at our best in order to even compete with them.”
Nashville has never extended a series when trying to stave off elimination at home. The Predators lost Game 6 to Detroit in 2004 and 2008 with Game 5 losses to San Jose in 2006 and 2007 – all here.
That might be why Trotz took it easy on his Predators on Sunday with only a handful hitting the ice to loosen up. Others kicked a soccer ball in a hallway while he talked to reporters about this latest test of his team’s character.
“We’ve got to get it done (Monday) and see if we can take it back to Chicago. If we’re able to take it back to Chicago, I think our lesson’s learned. I think we’ll be a pretty strong team going in,” Trotz said.
Posted: 4/25/2010 10:25 PM ET