NEWSLETTER
I’m not going to waste more of your time today when the Chicago Blackhawks already took a beautiful sunny afternoon away from you.
Chicago loses 3-0 to the Nashville Predators. They are 0-3-2 against the Predators this season, earning just two of a possible ten points against them this season. Nashville has earned all ten points against the Blackhawks this season and with today’s shutout win, take a two-point lead over the Blackhawks for the Central Division fourth-place spot.
Chicago will now root for the Florida Panthers to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes to beat the Dallas Stars tonight, so as to not lose even more ground in the Division’s playoff chase.
FINAL: Predators 3, #Blackhawks 0
Shot attempts: 63-41 CHI
Shots on goal: 41-21 CHI
5-on-5 scoring chances: 27-17 CHI
5-on-5 high danger chances: 17-4 CHI pic.twitter.com/kylH36txDr— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) April 3, 2021
On paper, the Blackhawks should have won this game. They had more powerplay opportunities, more shots on net, more scoring chances. What did them in was that they also had more mistakes.
Chicago has been super disciplined as of late, having just one powerplay chance against them in each of the last four games. Today, they allowed a goal on the only Predators powerplay with Eeli Tolvanen scoring his 10th of the season.
In the second period, the Blackhawks turn the puck over on a lazy pass from Patrick Kane that leads to a Colton Sissons breakaway that Adam Boqvist takes a penalty on. Sissons awarded a penalty shot and he converts it, 2-0 Nashville through two periods.
Then in the third period, after the Blackhawks wasted nearly a full two-minute five-on-three powerplay where they showed no urgency to try and get momentum back on their side, Luke Kunin jumps on a rebound and buries it for the 3-0 goal.
Via @MoneyPuckdotcom: pic.twitter.com/VUOVfM4Pi6
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) April 3, 2021
That’s it. Chicago fails to get a win over the Predators again and fall behind in the playoff chase. 17 games left this season.
The Hockey Gods have funny way about them. Chicago had four powerplays, took just one penalty, and had their most shots on goal all season, and lose 3-0.
Final Thoughts
• Chicago has lost four of their last five games (1-4-0) with three regulation losses to the Predators. Looking back further, they are 4-10-0 in their last 14 games. We’ve harped on the next ten games being against teams that the Blackhawks have had favorable results against this season, yet they are coming into that ten-game stretch with no stream behind them. Not sure what else can be done at this point of the season to create steam without the on-ice results.
• Chicago has had 36 or more shots on goal in six games this season, including tonight’s contest. They are 1-3-2 in those six games. Meanwhile, they are 2-0-1 with 20 or fewer shots on goal.
• The Blackhawks finished the game with a 72.91 expected goals percentage, according to Natural StatTrick. That’s their highest percentage this season. And they lost.
• *GASP* What’s this? A fourth thought? Yes I am capable of more than three thoughts at a time. I wanted to finish on a positive note. The broadcast with Kendall Coyne-Schofield with Pat Foley was great. She’s a natural in the booth and played off of Foley well. It’s truly incredible that she can be a talented broadcaster, a Player Development coach, and a star player within the women’s game and for the USA Olympic Team. Hats off to her today, best part of the game.
