Western Conference First Round, Game 2: Predators 6, Blackhawks 2 – Recap

After taking game 1 in double overtime, the Hawks were back in Nashville for game 2. The Predators controlled the action for most of the first period. They would get a power play just over a minute-and-a-half in after Kris Versteeg was sent off for charging. The Predators converted 2:47 into the game on a goal by Colin Wilson that Corey Crawford absolutely needed to stop. The Hawks tied the game with 3:47 to play in the period on a goal by Patrick Sharp during a delayed penalty. The Predators took the lead back with 3.6 seconds left in the period on a goal by Roman Josi. This would be the final goal scored in the period, and after twenty, the Hawks trailed 2-1. After the horn had sounded to end the first, a scrum broke out between the players on the ice, resulting in matching penalties; Andrew Shaw and Bryan Bickell for the Hawks, and Paul Gaustad and Taylor Beck for the Predators.

The second period started out more back-and-forth than the first. The Hawks went to the power play three-and-a-half minutes in after Gaustad went back to the penalty box, this time for four minutes, for a high stick on Michal Roszival that drew blood. The Hawks would have a couple nice looks, but would be unable to get anything past Pekka Rinne. Momentum stayed on the Hawks’ side and they would end up tying the game just over ten-and-a-half minutes into the second on a goal by Patrick Kane. The Predators would again re-take the lead on a goal by Craig Smith 14:54 in. The Hawks would get a chance to tie the game on a power play 24 seconds later when Seth Jones was sent off for slashing. The Hawks would get a couple nice looks, but come up empty. Neither team would score in the remainder of the period, and after forty, the Hawks trailed 3-2.

The third period opened with back-and-forth action before the Hawks went to the penalty kill 5:13 into the third after Jonathan Toews was sent off for interference. The Hawks would be able to kill off the penalty. The Hawks would have a hard time getting anything going, and the Predators would expand the lead on a goal by Filip Forsberg that came after a ridiculous misplay by Crawford with 7:19 to play. Things would only get worse from here for the Hawks, as Craig Smith scored 1:47 later to give the Predators a 5-2 lead, and Mike Santorelli scored 32 seconds after that to make it 6-2. The Predators got a power play with 2:04 left to play after Kris Versteeg was sent off for an elbow to Colin Wilson. It would become a 5-on-3 with 43 seconds to play after Kimmo Timonen was sent off for slashing. Andrew Shaw was then sent to the locker room for a game misconduct for slapping the puck down the ice, away from a referee attempting to pick it up. Not that any of this mattered. The Hawks lost 6-2 and would go back to Chicago tied at 1.

Remember after game one where I said I didn’t blame Crawford for giving up three goals in the first because the defense let him down? I blame him almost entirely for this one. You just can’t turn in these kinds of performances, especially in the Playoffs. We’re beyond debating who should start game 3. Darling should start. Period. The only debate should be “Who should be the backup?” And I’m going with Raanta there.

My picks for 3 stars:

★★★ Patrick Kane, RW, CHI (1 G)

★★ Filip Forsberg, C, NSH (1 G, 1 A)

★ Craig Smith, C, NSH (2 G (GWG), 1 A)

Twitter: @KSchroeder2325

E-mail: schroeder.giig@gmail.com

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