Posted by On Friday night, the Blackhawks will look to wrap up a playoff berth, their first since 2002, as they take on the Nashville Predators at the United Center.
The team is coming off of a really solid win against the Blues on Wednesday night, which saw them play better defense, have more scoring opportunities, and come within 1.5 seconds of their first shutout in a long time.
The Hawks are 1-2-1 against the Predators this season, and with the Preds still fighting tooth and nail for a playoff spot, the game definitely will not be easy. Add that to the Hawks poor record against the Central division this season (5-7-6 this season), and it could be a long night at the UC.
There are reasons for hope, however. The Hawks’ play against a St. Louis team that had won its previous five games (and then beat Detroit 5-4 last night at the Joe) indicated that a team meeting on Wednesday morning may have done the trick. This meeting, held in place of the morning skate, was needed after the Hawks dropped consecutive games to the Canucks and Canadiens in embarassing fashion.
This move showed that even though the Hawks have one of the youngest teams in the NHL, they still have enough veteran presence in the locker room to keep things calm, a positive sign for a team looking to make some noise in the postseason.
Focusing on the game at hand, the Blackhawks need to focus on three main keys if they want to hang with and beat the Predators and wrap up their playoff spot.
1. Avoid the tendencies they have shown in the previous five games, which saw them show erratic play, inadequate effort at times (especially against Vancouver and Montreal), and defensive pressure that comes and goes. If the Hawks can play with high intensity for 60 full minutes, then they can definitely get the job done against Nashville.
2. Matching the Predators’ pace is important. The Preds like to force the puck up ice, even from deep in their zone, and they like to take advantage of the two-line pass as well on line changes.
The Blackhawks need to be crisp in their line changes, clog these lanes that allow passes to develop, and whatever they do, do NOT go into the “prevent” defense if they get a lead in the game. If they start playing to protect the lead, then the Predators will be able to set up their plays and own the neutral zone when the Hawks start dumping the puck in at the red line all the time. It happened against San Jose, and it cannot happen in this game if the Hawks want to win.
3. Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Brian Campbell need to be willing to put their bodies on the line to stop Nashville rushes, and they also need to be willing to turn the tables on Nashville when they get a little too frisky with the puck. When Nashville attacks from their zone, it often leaves a vaccum at the red line, which can be exploited if the Hawks’ defensemen can intercept wayward passes and fire them forward to the wingers.
Guys like Campbell and Keith especially need to do this, as their offensive skills have been pretty much for naught in recent weeks. If the Hawks can take advantage of the Preds’ aggressiveness, it could lead to some good odd-man rushes against Pekka Rinne and hopefully rattle the rookie’s cage.
Player to Watch in this Game: Patrick Kane, RW
Patrick Kane had a really good game against St. Louis on Wednesday. He showed flashes of offensive prowess that he hasn’t shown in a long time, and he did not look at all to be worried about stretching the limits of his ankle. He didn’t show any hesitancy on the power play like he did the previous couple of games, and if he continues to play at this level, then he is at his most dangerous. Look for him to have a good game against Nashville.
Some of these points seem redundant, but as is the case with many things in life, the key to succeeding is repetition. If the Hawks can make some of these things habits, they will find the success that they had earlier in the season. They’ll also get back their killer instinct, and if they can do that, look out Western Conference come April 16th.
Jim Neveau is a sports blogger and aspiring journalist who has had work featured on various sites, including foxsports.com. He also writes for a Blackhawks blog entitled paintitblackhawks.com. You can email him questions or comments at jamesneveau@hotmail.com.
Some Other Articles That You May Enjoy:
Wild Still Kicking…Barely
March of the Penguins Continues into April
Nashville Predators or Not, the Central Division is Well Represented in the Playoffs
Nashville Predators
I Like It, I love It…
Chicago Blackhawks
We hope you enjoyed this post. As always, leaving a comment below is both appreciated and encouraged. Thanks!
