NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Here’s a quick look at the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-1 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena.
How it happened: Brandon Saad scored the only goal of the first period when he beat Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne with a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot high to the far side. In the second, Saad carried the puck into the Nashville zone, and when everyone on the ice expected him to shoot, he sent a crossing pass to Marian Hossa trailing on the left side, where he had a wide-open net. Making his first NHL appearance since late October, Blackhawks goalie Scott Darling was not tested often, but he was strong when called upon and finished with 32 saves. Nashville’s only goal deflected off Niklas Hjalmarsson and past Darling some 34 seconds into the third period. Hossa added an empty-net goal with 1:11 remaining to ice matters.
What it means: After winning their sixth in a row and ninth in their past 10, the Blackhawks are now in sole possession of first place in the Central Division, with 37 points. Eight of their past nine wins have come against fellow Western Conference teams, with four from within the Central. Nashville was 11-1-1 at home prior to Saturday and had not lost at Bridgestone Arena since Oct. 25.
Player of the game: Hossa. Skating hard on the backcheck, he poke-checked the puck away from Nashville’s Eric Nystrom, which led to the game’s first goal. On the first of his two tallies, Hossa trailed Saad wide open and made no mistake after Saad set him up perfectly. On his second goal, Hossa pounced on a turnover by Nashville's Mattias Ekholm in the neutral zone and fired it into the empty net. Hossa led all Blackhawks with seven shots on goal.
Stat of the game: 1-1. The Blackhawks were short-handed just once and successfully killed that penalty. They entered Saturday tops in the NHL on the penalty kill, with a 91 percent success rate. Nashville has scored just one power-play goal at home this season and is now 1-for-44 at Bridgestone.
What’s next: The Blackhawks continue their four-game road trip Tuesday in New Jersey, followed by stops in Boston and on Long Island.
