Nashville Predators vs. Chicago Blackhawks Predictions, Picks and Preview – 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Western Conference First Round Game Two – April 15, 2017
Thursday’s Game 1 clash had a pinnacle moment in store for the Nashville Predators. The team stole home-ice advantage from the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, 1-0, marking Nashville’s first-ever postseason shutout victory on the road.
Goalie Pekka Rinne was simply impeccable that evening, making 29 saves at stifling Chicago’s assault. With the Predators offense having been held in check fort the most past, Rinne will need to be just as steady this Saturday to avenge his team’s past shortcomings in the playoffs against the Blackhawks.
It also helped out a ton that the Preds’ defense showed up in Game 1. The blueliners, led by two-time All-Star P.K. Subban, threw their bodies around at will to further impede the Blackhawks’ attack.
Viktor Arvidsson scored the only goal of the game and he’s likely due for another solid performance, as the right wing now has three goals and and five points over his last three starts. Arvidsson’s been a thorn to Chicago’s side indeed, having found the back of the net four times in the team’s last four meetings against Nashville, and it won’t be long before the likes of centers Mike Fisher and Filip Forsberg get it going as well.
A brutal loss certainly wasn’t the outcome that the Chicago Blackhawks wanted, but they’ve been through worse situations before even after being humbled via shutout by the Predators in Game 1 this past Thursday.
It was the first Game 1 loss for the Blackhawks since their first-round encounter with the St. Louis Blues back in 2014. Then again if you would recall, they still went on to beat the Blues in that series in six games.
Chicago should still be encouraged with its performance; Corey Crawford only saw 20 shots from Nashville come his way, while prolific right wings Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Artemi Panarin combined for 13 shots-on-goal. All things considered, the Blackhawks appeared to be the more aggressive bunch, having taken nine more shots that the Predators and a 31-24 edge in faceoffs.
Let’s not forget that this is still the same ‘Hawks team that took four of the five regular-season games versus the Preds, and that Nashville’s only win from those five was in the season opener on October 14, which was by just a one-goal deficit as well (3-2 final score in regulation). The very next day, the Blackhawks bounced back with a 5-3 victory.
Will a deja vu of sorts from the first two regular-season contests occur this weekend? Chicago would definitely want to make that happen as to not put their playoff run on the ropes all of a sudden.
Writer’s Prediction
The Blackhawks (-175) redeem themselves with a 3-1 victory to tie the series at one game apiece as the series now shifts to Music City.
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