Predators seize series lead with 4-1 win over Chicago
by Dirk Hoag on Apr 21, 2010 1:03 AM EDT
in Nashville Predators Game Recaps
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The Nashville Predators took a 2-1 series lead by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks before an energetic crowd at the Bridgestone Arena tonight, led by 26 saves from Pekka Rinne and David Legwand's goal and two assists. It marks the first time in franchise history that the Preds have led a series 2-1, and gives them the chance to really put the Blackhawks in a hole Thursday night.
Follow after the jump for reaction, and check out the video widget on the right-hand sidebar for all the highlights...
It's a late night, so... bullet-point time!
- David Legwand has flipped the switch in this series, dominating defensively and creating opportunities on the offensive end.
- What did I tell you people? In 5-on-5 play, the Preds can compete toe-to-toe with the Hawks, while special teams is where the challenge lies. Tonight, in 5-on-5 the Preds won 4-0. Chicago went 1-for-4 on the power play, Nashville went 0-for-5.
- Physical play on defense really got the crowd riled up in the 1st period. Shea Weber caught Patrick Kane, and Francis Bouillon leveled Colin Fraser along the boards.
- As sensational as the 2-on-1 that led to Legwand's goal was, give due credit to Kevin Klein for springing Steve Sullivan with a nifty, off-the-boards outlet pass. Klein bounced back resoundingly from a horrid Game 2.
- And that 3rd goal? It's like Pete & Crispy now say on the broadcast...
- The refs really drove the fans nuts with all the ticky-tack calls, but what was worse was how they let more things go in the 3rd period. It's inconsistency more than anything else that frustrates.
- If I had to pick a negative, I'd say that I wasn't crazy about J.P. Dumont's game. He retaliated on a couple occasions that could have cost the Preds a penalty, and got on the wrong side of pucks that let Chicago maintain possession in the Nashville zone. That said, he did tee that Shea Weber goal up nicely.
- Pekka Rinne was simply superb, as he has been for weeks now. He set the tone with an early save on Kris Versteeg, although he mishandled a couple pucks around the crease that gave us all a fright.
- Speaking of Versteeg, he and Sully have a running battle going on in this series. They're taking every opportunity to run each other and have really added some sizzle to the matchup.
- Antti Niemi was decent in the Chicago net, I wouldn't necessarily fault him for any Preds goal in particular.
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Whew!
Now I’m tired! Holy crap was that awesome, they just straight had it together after the first 5 mins. Refs were terrible, but that didn’t matter. Now I’m tired from yelling and cheering and standing a lot. First penalty shot I’ve ever seen in person, and Erat made it!
What a night, and my good luck charm/friend will be at the game Thursday. We need to put up a similar/better performance then and we’ve just about got this!
Key to this game:
We went after the bodies and not the puck.
That was the best experience I’ve ever had at a sporting event. Can’t wait for Thursday!
Christie kicks it high and short...Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25...He dishes it back to Wycheck...He throws it across the field to Dyson...
www.manningface.com
I'm sorry
That was way too positive.
If we keep turning the puck over like we did in this game, we’re not going to win 1 more game this series. Chicago is going to come out screaming on Thursday to try and get the crowd out of it.
Christie kicks it high and short...Gonna be fielded by Lorenzo Neal at the 25...He dishes it back to Wycheck...He throws it across the field to Dyson...
www.manningface.com
by Michaeltastic on Apr 21, 2010 1:51 AM EDT up reply actions
A lot of whiffs too...
I saw besides missed passes, a lot of missing the puck entirely on shots by the Hawks. Maybe they weren’t used to our ice? lol But I expect this next game to be the tightest and best played of the series. I still predict a 2-1 OT win for the Preds.
I think I wrote something on our GDT along the lines of
“The Hawks look like they’re pushing newborn babies with their sticks toward Rinne to cuddle.”
Very bad shooting on our part. Whiffs and softies. You guys could’ve won that game with Huet in net. Well, maybe…
Well, folks, I want to thank you for being here for the recording of my live comedy album. Funny material and laughter will be dubbed in later.
by ChicagoNativeSon on Apr 21, 2010 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
he's been pretty solid this series
I guess if you’re going to get hot…
by Great Paperclip on Apr 21, 2010 7:12 AM EDT up reply actions
agreed
i’m usually pretty hard on Legwand. He was all over the ice last night, in a good way. Was he playing against a different line or something from the games in Chicago?
i was surprised they gave Erat the penalty shot. was it because he fell, or do they award a penalty shot/penalty just because his arm got hooked as he was taking the shot? i honestly don’t know what the rule says there. i think Erat’s fall to the ice was more a result of him loosing his footing trying to make a move after the hook and not the hook itself. just trying to make an honest observation.
also, it seemed like 2 and 8 were on the ice a lot in this game. are they getting better together, or were we just lucky?
TN Sports fan in Hoosier Country....
rule
should only be a penalty shot if player is clear to goalie, prevented from getting shot off by a penalized move and the defending player didnt play the puck. that was sort of a weaker penalty shot call. i thought erat was somewhat off balance already. looked like 2 for hooking to me.
by predswilrule on Apr 21, 2010 8:10 AM EDT up reply actions
I also couldn’t believe he was awarded a penalty shot, and was surprised the Blackhawks and their commentators (Versus had their feed) weren’t more upset about the call. I’m sure they were going crazy at SCH though.
Nope
Niemi’s a pretty good SO goalie, so at that point of the game it was the better of the two options. Hopefully Niemi could stop the shot instead of us being down a man for 2 mins when we needed instant offense. Obviously neither the stop or the offense happened. The call was fine. We were pissed at another bonehead Buff penalty though.
Well, folks, I want to thank you for being here for the recording of my live comedy album. Funny material and laughter will be dubbed in later.
by ChicagoNativeSon on Apr 21, 2010 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
A better option!?!
Hey man, I know you’re watching your team… but have you seen our PowerPlay?
Me neither, so let us know if you find it… =/
NHL 10 for XBox 360 is like paying $60 for bipolar disorder...
The refs hand went up right after the hook, before Erat fell. I didn’t think that it was deserving of a penalty shot until I saw the replay. I was surprised they called it, though, the way they were letting them, ahem, ‘play’ in the third. Looked more like a call they would have made in the first period.
David Legwand has been the best player in this series (as far as skaters go). Agree/disagree?
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
Absolutely
and wow, he’s tied for 8th most points in the NHL this postseason with one less game played.
Graphic Designer/Researcher/Writer at Music City Miracles.
Official Graphic Goon of On The Forecheck.
by Aditya T (smashville) on Apr 21, 2010 8:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Tossup between Legwand and Dumont..
Both of those guys are playing just the way I hoped they would. Leggy looks nothing like the guy we’ve been watching for 82 games this season…Thank God!
by hockeydekefreak on Apr 21, 2010 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
I would say Leggy and Rinne are tied for our MVP, so far. They both have two outstanding games. DuMont has 1.5 outstanding games. Leggy is playing, mostly, the same game. He has made a lot of passes that weren’t getting buried, but should have been goals, during the season, and he did not score that many goals, himself. He was an 80% player during the season and he has been a 95% player in the playoffs. I knew he was stepping it up when he started hitting people. He has been outstanding defensively, too. Calm in our zone with our puck, waiting to make a good clear or outlet pass. Unlike Hamhuis, with his panic stick attacks last night. I’m happy for Legwand. He needed some success to remind him of his potential. Hope he carries it forward.
Disagree…By far the best player in the series has been Dustin Byfuglien. Without him, the Hawks may actually have been in the game yesterday…lol
Just what I was thinking...
Having him at D is killing you guys. I actually get excited when I see he is on the ice. Funny enough, he dominated us in a few games earlier this year in front of the net and he had been my most hated Blackhawk. I bet you guys hate Ovechkin…
Nah, I don’t hate Ovechkin. He’s not a dirty player, he’s just reckless sometimes. Everytime Buff hit the ice yesterday I’d turn to the closest Pred fan and told them to be prepared to sing some “I Like it, I Love it” lol….it doesn’t help that he’s got very limited blue line experience and that Q changed the lines on him non stop all night. Either way though, Buff or no Buff the Preds were the better team last night. As a Hawks fan I’d like to see Campbell back so Buff can camp out in front of Rinne and improve our anemic power play much like he did in last year’s playoffs. But alas, it doesn’t appear us Hawk fans are so lucky.
by Hawkfan08 on Apr 21, 2010 1:01 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
What a great picture
Graphic Designer/Researcher/Writer at Music City Miracles.
Official Graphic Goon of On The Forecheck.
by Aditya T (smashville) on Apr 21, 2010 9:07 AM EDT reply actions
I know
I had to make it extra-large to fit in all the detail, but it was worth it. Really captured the energy both on the ice and in the crowd.
More fun than a stick to the face!
On the Forecheck is SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators.
What I want to know is who that dork is sitting down!
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 21, 2010 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Woo hoo...that was fun!
Let’s do it again some time, ok? How ’bout tomorrow night!!!!
The crowd was unreal (my ears are still ringing) and although I feel like I’ve been on a 2 week bender, I wouldn’t trade witnessing Pred history again for anything. Looks like we are rewriting the history book this season guys….let’s keep it going. Win another game and the high-flying Hawks will fold like a a pair of twos-8 high. Go Preds!
by TitanPredBearFan on Apr 21, 2010 9:52 AM EDT reply actions
Let's hear it for Frankie
Bouillon’s blast on Fraser in front of the Hawks bench made a statement at the start of the game, then Shea’s crunch on Kane added an exclamation point. Versteeg apparently didn’t get the message so Sully stayed in his face all night long. What a great, great night at the Bridge.
by Hockey Hillbilly on Apr 21, 2010 11:12 AM EDT reply actions
Boullion's hit was my favorite of the night, it looked perfect
That type of physical play is what won us games 1 and 3. It’s a big key to this series.
by hockeydekefreak on Apr 21, 2010 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions
2 different takes on this series.....
- Don LaGreca just called the Preds to win the series on the “NHL Live” show. At least someone is paying attention out there. LaGreca is one of my favorite Hockey guys. And he proved why again.
- On the other hand, yesterday on the “Power Play” show, Phil Esposito told a caller, who thought the Preds were going to dominate the series, that he was “full of crap”, then said that he “hated callers like that, who think their team is going to win just because they are a fan”(which wasn’t what the caller was trying to say at all). Say, Phil… I just baked a Crow pie, would you like a slice?….it’s still warm.
by hockeydekefreak on Apr 21, 2010 12:22 PM EDT reply actions
they haven't dominated the series yet
Game 1 had some bounces go our way, game 2 was mostly controlled by the hawks, and game 3…well, that was more like it. But this Blackhawks team is a very offense oriented team that can break out at any time…so be careful about waking sleeping giants. Toews, Kane, Sharp, and Ho$$a have all been called out. At the beginning of the series, it seemed like only Nashville had something to prove. You can bet that the blackhawks’ stars will be trying to prove something tomorrow night, so the guys have to come out just as motivated as they were last night to have a chance.
by Great Paperclip on Apr 21, 2010 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree we haven't "dominated" per se...
But Phil’s claim that the caller was “full of crap” was way off base.
by hockeydekefreak on Apr 21, 2010 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions
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