Blackhawks Drop Third Straight In Shoot Out Loss To Nashville

Added on Nov 14, 2010 by J Merrill in

NHL

Chicago is trying to prevent the wheels from coming off a they have just dropped their third in a row. Although they lead most of the game, the Nashville Predators came back to tie the game in the third, and force a shootout that would earn them the victory. This is the third straight loss for the Stanley Cup Champions, and although they are far from panicking, the loss put them in fourth place in their division.

Blackhawks Coach Quenneville thought the last goal the predators were able to put in was the one that they needed to stop. A slap shot from Cody Franson tied the game up for the Predators half way through the period. Quenneville said at the presser, “We’ll have to go back and look at it, but we still can’t give up that third goal. I think there are some positive things and some things we need to talk about. We can’t lose momentum.”

That moment did change the pace of the game, and it really lit a fire under the Predators who pressured the Hawks for the rest of the third period and the overtime period to force the shoot out. It’s Nashville’s second consecutive shootout win after a five game losing streak, and will send them back on the road in a good frame of mind. The Predators play their next four games away from home.

Predator Coach Barry Trotz said after the game he was happy for his team “It’s very hard in this league when you are down. When you are chasing the game, trying to get it tied up, it is pretty taxing on your team mentally. But you talk about defining a backbone and finding ways to win, that’s what those moments are.”

Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne talked a little about the shoot out, and how he told Coach Trotz to let Chicago shoot first. “We prepare well for the shootouts, We realize that the one extra point is huge and it’s never easy to get those points and when you get to the shootout, you want to give your team the best chance. Cal made an awesome shot. My job gets a lot easier after that.” Rinne continued to talk about how luck played a role in the shoot out when it was Patrick Kane’s turn. “I got really lucky, I thought he was going to go to his backhand and he came back with a good move. I just threw my stick there and it bounced.”

He was also happy with the sell out crowd and how they kept them in the game on Saturday night. “They were great as always. We can’t take them for granted but being at home, we could feel the energy and we are really happy that we got the win because we haven’t played well at home. It feels good to get the two points.”

Even though the Hawks fell short at the end of the game, they did have a bit of good news. 2005 draft pick Jack Skille entered without a goal in 17 games this season, but thankfully that all ended in Nashville. He was able to put two goals in the net for the Blackhawks. He was happy the weight was lifted off his shoulders. “I’ve said all season, once I get that first one, it will take the pressure off and hopefully I can keep that going,” Skille said. “Right now, I think team wins are the bigger issue, and we need to get back on the winning side of things.”

The Blackhawks, who are now 8-9-2, continue their road trip against the Anaheim Ducks tonight. The 10-7-1 Ducks have come on strong after a slow start, and are now second in their division. They are red hot right now, and it would be a huge win for the Hawks, as the Ducks are on a 6 game winning streak.