The Blackhawks fell to the Predators 1-0 in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals Thursday night at the United Center. Tribune reporters Chris Kuc and Chris Hine break down two key issues from the game and look ahead to Game 2.
How can the Blackhawks get the offense going in Game 2?
Kuc: Scoring first was huge for the Predators as they then sat back and focused on slowing the Hawks down through the neutral zone by employing a 1-4 trap. To combat that strategy in Game 2, the Hawks will need to dump the puck into the offensive zone or rim it around the boards and then battle to get it back. Winning those one-on-one battles deep in the Preds’ zone will go a long way toward opening things up.
Hine: Whenever the Hawks go through a scoring drought, their main complaint is that they’re lacking a net-front presence and the will to score greasy goals off rebounds or tips. There was talk of that postgame as well. Coach Joel Quenneville referenced that when he said the Hawks were lacking desperation Thursday night. The Predators kept the Hawks on the perimeter too much. The Hawks needs to fight their way through.
What were the positives from Game 1?
Kuc: The kids were all right. Other than Nick Schmaltz, who found himself riding the bench for much of the second period, the Hawks’ youngsters acquitted themselves well on the big stage. Tanner Kero was particularly noticeable and was rewarded by being moved to the left wing on the top line while coach Joel Quenneville searched for some offense. Kero finished with three shots on goal and six hits while winning four of five faceoffs in 13 minutes, 15 seconds of ice time. Ryan Hartman was also effective in his 14:57 of play with three hits. As the series goes on, the rookies figure to become more comfortable and will be bigger contributors.
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Hine: If you’re a Hawks fan, you have to be encouraged by the zone time the Hawks generated in the second and third periods. After a slow start, the Hawks looked more in character, even if the Predators were keeping them on the perimeter and blocking a lot of shots (24 in all). The Hawks had a 57-33 edge in shots during 5-on-5 play. So long as the Hawks maintain zone time like that, it will be tough for the Predators to keep their scoring down the rest of the series.
Twitter @ChrisKuc
Twitter @ChristopherHine
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