Nashville Predators
Blackhawks Overcome 1-0 1st Period Hole, Top Sharks 2-1 in Game 1 of Western Conference Finals
Monday, May 17th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, San Jose Sharks, Sports, Vancouver Canucks | 1 Comment
OK — I am sold on Goalie Antti Niemi. What a performance from the rookie goalie in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday afternoon. The Sharks scored on Jason Demers power play goal just over 11 minutes into the 1st period and then continued to barrage Niemi to the tune of 13 1st period shots on goal. But the rookie never gave in and he seemed to get more and more confident as the game wore. 18 saves in the 2nd period; 14 more saves in the 3rd period; a total off 44 saves on 45 shots on goal in the 1st game ever in the Shark Tank of San Jose’s HP Pavilion. Unbelievable. Like most hockey critics and analsyts, I questioned whether Cristobal Huet or Niemi would be able to lead the Blackhawks to 16 wins in the post-season to capture that elusive Stanley Cup title. After his performance in Round 1, when he pitched 2 shutouts after Game 1 and Game 3 losses to the Predators, you could see that he had it in him to perform at a high level under high pressure situations. The Hawks won the final 3 games of that series and then carried that momentum over into the Semi-Finals against the Vancouver Canucks. Sure Niemi (and the rest of the team for that matter) looked “off” in the Game 1 and Game 5 losses at the United Center, but when you win 3 road games in a series this late in the season, you gotta be doing something right. Niemi took it to another level on Sunday. Both teams had been coming off of longer-than-usual layoffs (Hawks 4 days; Sharks 8 days) so you didn’t really know what to expect. Both teams came out firing right from the start and they combined for a total of 95 shots on goal – which is a TON for a playoff hockey game. I doubt we’ll see a similar display on Tuesday night as the 2 teams now have a game under their belts to figure out each other a little bit more, but if Niemi plays even half as well as he did on Sunday, the Hawks should be in good shape.
As for the Hawks offense, patrick Sharp tied up the game 7 minutes into the 2nd period with his 6th goal of the post-season. Then, in the 3rd period, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane assisted Dustin Byfuglien on the game winner with just under 7 minutes left to play in regulation. After being held scoreless in the 1st series against the Predators, Byfuglien has now racked up 5 post-season goals in 2010.
Marian Hossa smacked 6 shots on goal in the win, and it’s only a matter of time before he gets a goal or 2 in a game. Kane and Sharp followed Hossa with 5 shots on goal apiece. The Hawks applied a lot of pressure to Ebgeni Nabokov and look for them to be even more aggressive in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
The Hawks did what they needed to do – win one of the 1st two games on the road in the Shark Tank. They can play a little more laid-back on Tuesday which could allow them to sneak another road win before heading back to Chicago for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday over the weekend. Either way, you have to like the performance – only 3 more wins to go until the Hawks get a chance to claim the Stanley Cup for the city of Chicago…
Blackhawks Answer Call with “Easy” 5-1 Win Over Canucks; Headed for 2nd Straight Conference Finals
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators, NHL, San Jose Sharks, Sports, Vancouver Canucks | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks eliminated the Vancouver Canucks for the 2nd straight NHL post-season with a convincing 5-1 win at GM Place on Tuesday night. The Hawks won the series 4 games to 2 and will now advance to the Western Conference Finals for the 2nd year in a row. The Blackhawks lost to the Detroit Red Wings in 5 games in last year’s Conference Finals and will look to advance to the Stanley Cup for the 1st time since 1971 with a series win over the San Jose Sharks this month.
After a scoreless 1st period that saw a total of 25 shots on goal, it looked like it would be a defensive battle all night long. But Troy Brouwer and Kris Versteeg scored goals just 36 seconds apart 2 minutes into the 2nd period and the Hawks had a quick 2-0 lead. Dave Bolland’s short-handed goal with 45 seconds left in the 2nd period gave the Hawks a commanding 3-goal lead heading into the final period. The Hawks held the Canucks to just 6 shots on goal in that decisive 2nd period and by the end of the game’s 1st 40 minutes, goalie Antti Niemi had saved all of the Canucks’ 19 shots on goal.
You gotta give the Canucks some credit though. They came out firing on all cylinders in the 3rd period and even scored a goal just over 3 minutes into the period to cut the lead to 3-1. But less than 5 minutes later, Patrick Kane put the dagger in the Canucks’ proverbial backs with a brilliant goal that gave the Hakws a 4-1 lead. When Dustin Byfuglien drove home his 4th goal of the series just 25 seconds later, the celebration for the Hawks was on.
Niemi stopped 29 of 30 shots on goal and won his 2nd straight post-season series. He has proved all the critics wrong with his stellar goal-tending throughout the entire post-season. Sure, he has had an “off” game or 2 in each of the 1st 2 series, but it doesn’t get him down and he seems to be able to re-group and be focused for the next contest.
The other crazy thing to take from the Hawks is their better play on the road than at home. The Hawks won all 3 games on the road in the Vancouver series in convincing fashion – 5-2; 7-4; and 5-1. The Hawks also won 2 of the 3 games played on the road in the opening round series win over the Nashville Predators. That leaves them with a 5-1 road record this post-season, with a disappointing 3-2 home record at the United Center. It is shocking to see the Hawks struggle at home this post-season since they won 29 games at home during the regular season. They did have a winning record on the road as well – 23-14-4 – but I’m surprised to see how tense they are playing in front of the home town fans.
It was a good thing that the Hawks packed their bags for an extended trip on the west coast. The Hawks head to San Jose today to get ready for the Conference Finals series which will likely begin sometime this weekend. The Hawks took 3 of the 4 games from the Sharks in the regular season series, so they do have the confidence to take out the West’s #1 seed (by 1-point) in a 7-game series. After falling behind the Colorado Avalanche 2 games to 1 in the opening round of the playoffs, the Sharks have been on a roll – winning 7 of their last 8 games. They won the final 3 games of the Avalanche series and took out the defending Western Conference Champion Red Wings in just 5 easy games, so it is going to be a dog fight. I can’t wait!
Blackhawks Respond – Top Canucks 4-2 to Even Series at 1
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks rose to the occasion on Monday night and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 to even the series at 1 game apiece. It was a must-win at the United Center, as the Hawks did not want to fall behind the Canucks 2 games to none heading out to Vancouver.
It didn’t start pretty, as the Canucks scored 2 quick goals in the games 1st 5 minutes to take a 2-0 lead. But Annti Niemi and the Hawks defense buckled down after that, keeping the Canucks out of the goal the rest of the game. Brent Seabrook’s goal with 12 minutes left in the period helped calm everyone’s nerves and cut the Canucks lead in half.
After the team’s played a scoreless 2nd period with just a total of 16 shots on goal from both teams, the Blackhawks took control in the 3rd period. They out shot the Canucks 13- 6 and tied the game up on Patrick Sharp’s short-handed goal just 7 minutes into the period. It looked like we might be paying an overtime affair, but Kris Versteeg’s 1st goal of the post-season gave the Hawks their 1st lead of the series with only 1 and a half minutes left to go in regulation. Patrick Kane’s empty netter with less than a minute left sealed the victory for the Hawks.
Antti Niemi bounced back from a rough Game 1 in which he gave up 5 goals in just 2 periods. Niemi shut down the Canucks after the 2 early goals and ended up making 24 saves on the night. The young star-in-the-making is really rising to the occasion this post-season.
What an unbelievable game and what an unbelievable series this is shaping up to be. Patrick Sharp summed it up best — “We’ve managed to respond after tough losses all season long. We say after every game that the next one is the biggest.”
My favorite play of the game — Patrick Sharp breaking up a an altercation between a stupid Canucks player and one of his own teammates – instead of getting involved he just shoved the Canucks player away and laughed at him. Sharp later commented that there’s no reason to fight in the post-season, just move on and keep playing…
The series now shifts to Canada where the Blackhawks and Canucks will play on Wednesday and Friday nights in Vancouver. Let’s hope we come back tied at 2-2 or with a 3-1 advantage ready to close it out on home ice at the United Center on Sunday…
Blackhawks Have Backs up Agaisnt Wall After Game 1 Debacle
Monday, May 3rd, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, Sports | No Comments
It’s “gut-check” time for the Chicago Blackhawks tonight after Game 1′s 5-1 debacle on Saturday night at the United Center. The Hawks looked scared and lost in the embarrassing home defeat. They will need to elevate their play if they want to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole going to Vancouver on Wednesday.
Antti Niemi stopped only 20 of 25 shots on goal during the game’s 1st 2 periods on Saturday. Head Coach Joel Quenneville pulled Niemi after the game’s 1st 40 minutes and let Cristobal Huet finish out the affair. Niemi did pitch 2 shutouts in the Hawks’ opening round series against the Nashville Predators – both shutouts came after a previous loss tying the series up at 1-1 and 2-2. Does he have a 3rd shutout in his bag of tricks? Let’s hope so.
Everyone needs to play better and the Hawks need to capitalize on their shots-on-goal advantage. In game 1, the Hawks outshot the Canucks 37 to 28, but they only tallied once, on Patrick Kane’s power play goal in the 3rd. But by then it was too little too late.
It’s put up or shut up time for the Hawks at the United Center tonight. Come on, guys – let’s get a W!
Blackhawks Top Predators 4-3, Advance to Conference Semifinals v Vancouver Canucks for 2nd Straight Season
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, Sports, Vancouver Canucks | 1 Comment
The Chicago Blackhawks got it done on Monday night, defeating the Predators 4-3 n Nashville to clinch the 4-2 series win. Finally. It was a hard-fought series and the Blackhawks should feel a sense of relief to make it through to the next round.
The Blackhawks quickly raced out to a 3-1 lead over the Predators with 1st period goals by Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. But 2 goals by Jason Arnott before the end of the period squared the game at 3. But a stupid hooking penalty by by Jerred Smithson with under a minute to play in the 1st period set up Jonathan Toews power play goal with 30 seconds to go in the 1st period. That proved to be the game winner as the 2 teams played scoreless hockey the rest of the way until John Madden’s empty netter with 8 seconds to go in regulation.
Kudos to Brent Sopel, Niklas Hjalmarsson and the rest of the power play killers. The Blackhawks held the Preds in check all series long – the Predators only converted 1 of 26 power play chances in the 6 game series.
Kudos should also go to rookie goalie Antti Niemi. Niemi made 25 saves in Monday night’s clinching win and kept the Preds off the scoreboard after a shaky start to the game. Niemi shutout the Preds twice during the series and seems poised to be able to rise to the occasion during the playoffs for the Blackhawks.
The Hawks now face a familiar opponent in the Conference Semifinals – the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks were the 3 seed in the Western Conference this year with 103 points. The Canucks beat the Los Angeles Kings in 6 games, winning the last 3 games of the series. The Hawks and Canucks met in the Conference Semifinals last season as well. Although the Canucks had home ice advantage, the Hawks won in 6 games and advanced to the Conference Finals. During the 2009-2010 NHL season, the Hawks and Canucks split the season series 2-2. Each team won a game on the other’s home ice too. It should be a fun series to watch…
WOW – Blackhawks Top Predators 5-4 in OT, Take 3-2 Series Lead
Saturday, April 24th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, Sports | No Comments
Unbelievable! Patrick Kane’s rebound of a Jonathan Toews shot on goal tied the contest at 4-4 with just 14 seconds remaining on the clock in regulation. Marian Hossa atoned for his costly 5-minute major penalty with just over a minute left to play by scoring the game-winning goal in overtime. It was his 1st playoff goal in a Blackhawks uniform.
It was a game of 2 halves. After taking a 3-1 lead midway through the 2nd period, the Predators scored the next 3 goals to regain the lead 4-3. It looked like they would go home to Nashville with a chance to clinch the series when Hossa committed his costly penalty. But the Blackhawks pulled Antti Niemi to negate the 1-man advantage and after an offensive spurtm Kane knocked in the game-tying goal.
The Predators futility on the power play has cost them this series. They are the only NHL hockey team without a power play goal this post-season – 0 for 21. Now the Blackhawks can clinch the Quarterfinals round win on Monday night in Nashville.
Sharp, Niemi Help Blackhawks Even Series with Dominant 3-0 Win
Friday, April 23rd, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, Sports | 1 Comment
The Chicago Blackhawks came out on a mission on Thursday night and it showed in their 3-0 shutout of the Predators in Nashville. Antti Niemi was solid in net and Patrick Sharp put the Hawks on the board 1st with a power play goal halfway through the 1st period. But the biggest moment of the night came when Tomas Kopecky and Dave Bolland of the Blackhawks committed 2 stupid penalties which gave the Predators a 5-3 advanatge for 1:51 seconds of critical ice time. Somehow the Hawks defense buckled down and kept the Predators from scoring a game-tying goal, and that seemed to take the life out of the Preds and their raucous fans.
When goals by Jonathan Toews and Sharp in the 2nd period extended the Hawks lead to 3-0, you could tell that the game was over. Although the Predators out-shot the Blackhawks for a 2nd straight game (33-30), Antti Niemi rose to the occasion with a sensational performance. He stopped all 33 shots on goal and he was successful in killing all 6 power plays for the Nashville squad. Both of Niemi’s wins in the series have been shutouts.
What a night for the Hawks. With their backs against the walls, the team came together to put forth one of the best efforts of the year. It was great to have Brian Campbell back on defense (he logged 14 important minutes) and the team looks forward to taking the lead for the 1st time in the series when the 2 teams resume play on Saturday afternoon at the United Center. Can’t wait…
Big Night for Chicago Bulls & Blackhawks
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, Nashville Predators, NBA, NHL, Sports | 2 Comments
It is a big night tonight for Chicago sports teams as the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks face “must-win” games in their respective playoff series.
The Bulls find themselves in a 2-0 hole in their 1st round NBA series against the #1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers. Lebron James of the Cavs torched the Bulls for 40 points in Monday’s contest. Another loss tonight will all but end the series – can’t see the Bulls coming back from a 3-0 deficit. While Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah have had great performances in both games, the Bulls are going to need more consistent play out of Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson if they expect to contain Lebron tonight and pull of the win. Tip off is 6PM Chicago time and the game will be televised on TNT.
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, find themselves in a 2-1 hole in Nashville. After a horrible, lifeless performance in Tuesday night’s 4-1 loss to the Predators, the Blackhawks must play with more urgency tonight. Brian Campbell – who was injured in a vicious hit about 40 days in which he suffered a broken clavicle and broken ribs – is expected to make his return on the ice tonight. Brian Bickell and Adam Burrish will also return to the line action. Could the return of these 3 players be the energetic injection that will propel the Hawks to victory?
After out-shooting the Predators in Games 1 and 2 of the series, the Predators out-shot the Hawks in Game 3 at home. The Blackhawks will need to apply more constant pressure in tonight’s game and they will have to move the puck around instead of trying to skate past the stingy Nashville defenders. The Hawks will also need a better performance out of goalie Antti Niemi. He was so good in the 1st 2 games, but will need to rebound from a sub-par showing in Game 3. It is do-or-die for the Blackhawks tonight in Nashville. Let’s hope they can put together a solid game like they did on Sunday at the United Center. If they can win tonight and even the series at 2 games apiece, I like the Blackhawks chances of advancing to round 2 and avoiding the upset. Tonight’s puck-drop is scheduled at 7:30 Chicago time in Nashville and the game will be televised on TSN2.
Music City Nightmare — Listless Blackhawks Drop 4-1 Game to Predators
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, Sports | No Comments
Ouch – this is not how Coach Joel Qunneville drew it up – a 4-1 listless loss to the Predators in Nashville. The Hawks now trail the Predators 2 games to 1 in the best of 7 series, and the team has their backs up against the wall, needing to win 3 of the next 4 games in order to advance to the Conference Semi-Finals. Not an easy task, especially against a team that packs the defense in their own zone and limits scoring chances on a consistent basis. The Blackhawks are used to outscoring their opponents in just about every game. But last night, the Predators actually out-shot the Hawks 35-27. The Hawks did not get more than 10 shots on goal in any period. Can you believe that?
Tomas Kopecky scored the Hawks lone goal on a power play in the 1st period. That goal tied the game at 1. But the Predators pulled away in the 2nd period scoring on 2 of their 9 shots on goal against Antti Niemi. Not good. And the Predators didn’t let up on the Hawks in the 3rd period – actually outshooting them 13-10 and scoring once to extend their lead to 4-1.
The Hawks have their work cut out for them. Are the Hawks being stubborn in not changing their game plan for this careful, consistent Predators squad? If they are trying to change their own style of play, is it just not working? Patrick Sharp said — “We need to get back to the drawing board and be better in Game 4.” That leads you to believe that the Hawks have not made the necessary adjustments leading into Game 3. Will Coach Quenneville do his job and make the changes? “I really thought we lost all momentum in that second period, and they took the game over. I think the building was alive. It had some personality. We put ourselves in the spot we’re in.”
The Blackhawks are just 8-18 in playoff series in which they have lost 2 of the 1st 3 games. Not a good stat. I still have faith that the Hawks will find a way to win Game 4 in Nashville. They had their backs against the wall in Game 2 and they found a way to win 2-0. Now it’s time to do the same on the road. Only 24 hours to go – then we’ll find out how tough this Blackhawks team really is…
Blackhawks Dominate Play, But Series Tied at 1-1
Monday, April 19th, 2010 | Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, NHL, Sports | No Comments
The Chicago Blackhawks dominated opening round playoff hockey with the Nashville Predators over the weekend, but the series is tied at 1 game apiece. In some ways it was a frustrating 1st 2 games for the Blackhawks, but at least the series is still tied at 1, and the club is still in great position to advance to the conference semifinals round.
In a “must-win game” on Sunday, rookie goalie Antti Niemi rose to the challenge and pitched his first playoff shutout for the Blackhawks – it was his 8th shutout of the season. Niemi stopped all 23 shots on goal by the Predators. For a 2nd straight game, the Blackhawks out-shot Nashville – this time by 10 shots on goal – 33-23. After a scoreless 1st period, Dave Bolland got the Hawks on the scoreboard first with a power play goal just over 8 minutes into the 2nd period. The Hawks applied the pressure during the power play and it finally paid off when both Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews made nifty passes to keep the puck in front of the net, and Bolland slid the back-hander part Predators goalie Pekka Rinne for the game winner. Patrick Kane then increased the lead to 2-0 with his 2nd goal of the series. Kane looked like he was going to pass the puck for the longest time, but at the last second he rifled the shot past Rinne. At that point, the Hawks were confident and skating a great game.
The 1st game of the series was a similar contest, with both teams feeling each other out for the initial part of the game. Although Patrick Kane gave the Hawks the lead with the 1st goal of the series midway through the 2nd period, the Hawks collapsed under the pressure in the 3rd period. It all started with a “lucky” goal by J.P. Dumont who flipped the puck at Niemi just a little over 1 minute into the period. The puck took a funny bounce of the ice and ricocheted off the post into the net past a surprised Niemi. 9 minutes later Dumont added his 2nd goal of the period and the Hawks trailed 2-1 with less than 10 minutes left in the game. The Hawks were dazed by the turn of events and could only manage 4 shots on goal the entire period. The Predators added 2 empty net goals with under a minute to play, and just like that, the Predators had stolen game 1 from the Hawks on their home ice at the United Center.
But the Hawks rallied on Sunday night, playing a near perfect game to earn the win. The Hawks will need to be patient and not try to force things too much. Each team will try to control the puck as much as possible, so if the Hawks can avoid any defensive lapses, they should be able to prevail in the series because they have way too many offensive weapons. The series could still go 6 or 7 games, but I’m thinking the Hawks will end up going forward when it’s all said and done.
The series resumes Tuesday night in Nashville. Look for another hard-fought defensive struggle by both teams.
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