Lukas Reichel scored in the first period to help the Chicago Blackhawks eke out a 2-1 win Thursday against the Nashville Predators to open a five-game trip.
Joey Anderson padded the lead at 8:01 of the third period in Nashville, Tenn.
The win had a downside for Hawks fans pulling for the best odds to land a top-three draft pick and perhaps the No. 1 overall — which is likely what it would take to snag Connor Bedard. The phenom had a two-goal, two-assist Wednesday to reach 63 goals and 66 assists in 52 games for the WHL Regina Pats.
The win moved the Hawks into the fourth-place slot on the draft board, slipping behind the Anaheim Ducks. But the Hawks can’t seem to resist taking down contenders.
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After pulling off a 6-3 stunner against the league-leading Boston Bruins on Tuesday, the Hawks played blanket defense and patient offense to knock off the Predators, who are clinging to wild-card hopes.
Where the Bruins were always fighting uphill to get back in the game, the matchup at Bridgestone Arena was shaping up to be a goalie duel between Juuse Saros and Alex Stalock, who has become the Hawks’ de facto starter since Petr Mrázek aggravated a groin injury against the Bruins.
Saros and Stalock traded highlight-reel saves for most of the game, but Saros was done in by friendly fire in the first.
Dante Fabbro dove to take away Reichel’s backdoor pass to Andreas Athanasiou, but the puck bounced off Fabbro’s stick and into the net as Fabbro crashed into Saros. The goal was Reichel’s third of the season and first since March 6 against the Ottawa Senators.
The Hawks have scored the opening goal in six of the last seven games.
Anderson, who arrived via a late-February trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs, notched a goal for a second straight game and has five points in his last five games.
Stalock came 25 seconds shy of a third shutout, but Roman Josi sniped it to pull the Preds within 2-1.
Stalock stopped Matt Duchene and Jason Dickinson blocked a another shot by Josi to foil a last-ditch rally.
Stalock had 35 saves while Saros had 19.