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Lite Dream: Predators 4, Blackhawks 2

Like we never left!

Posted on by Dave Melton
Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Blackhawks came back from the Olympic break looking much like the team from before it, losing 4-2 on the road to the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.

After six minutes of unsuccessful power-play time for the Hawks early in the first period, Filip Forsberg jumped on this turnover for the first goal of the game:

Connor Bedard tied the game up about four minutes into the second:

And Tyler Bertuzzi briefly put the Hawks in front with this PPG in the third:

After a pointless penalty was taken by Nick Foligno, Nashville tied the game at two on a power-play goal by Matthew Wood:

With just over three minutes left in the third, Ryan O’Reilly scored the game-winner:

Stamkos added an empty-netter for the final goal of the night.

Notes

No one on the roster should be taking the penalty that Foligno did in the third period. The team captain being the one to take makes it exponentially more unacceptable. The Hawks were up 2-1 and this team has struggled to maintain leads all season. Giving away a cheap power play in that moment — regardless of how good the PK is — is the kind of thing that can get other players stapled to the bench if not punted to the press box for a night.

Not going to say that Canada would’ve won the gold medal with Bedard in the lineup for the duration of the Olympics but the version of Bedard we saw in this game is good enough to play for any gold-medal winning team in any era of hockey. He was all over the freaking place. Seemed like the kind of night where he was capable of a few more goals based on all of the chances he was generating.

Bedard even thought he left a goal or two out on the ice:

The quickness with which Greene won that board battle and then moved the puck to Bedard for that first Hawks goal is indicative of the little things Greene can do which should service him quite well over the course of his career.

Outside of that moment from Greene and a decent look from Nazar earlier in the game, it’s hard to think of a standout moment from any other Blackhawks forward during 5-on-5 play — well, other than Foligno’s dumbass penalty. But we’re once again in the same spot of Bedard having to be damn near this team’s entire offense which was just as much of a recipe for disaster after the Olympic break as it was before the Olympic break. And this paragraph probably needs to end right here otherwise it’s going to sprial into something substantially bleaker.

You can see what Levshunov is trying to do when he gives the puck away before that initial Nashville goal. With Forsberg playing aggressive on the wall, playing the puck up the boards to Moore isn’t a great choice and as this play develops, Nazar has acres of space in the middle of the ice. Here’s the best screenshot I could muster as Levshunov touches the puck:

It even sounds like Knight is yelling “wheel!” at Levshunov as he picks up the puck, letting him know there’s a forechecker on his back. Perhaps that’s one way out of this jam: Levshunov quickly turns up ice to free himself from Haula and skates the puck out. Maybe Knight lingers a little and sets enough of a pick on Haula to help that happen. Or maybe Levshunov moves the puck quicker to Nazar in the middle of the ice and the puck breaks out that way. Ultimately, it’s probably Levshunov drawing most of the blame here, although Blashill offered this breakdown:

At least Levshunov can break up a 2-on-1? Seems like he’s getting a lot of practice at it.

Certainly not an ideal return from the Olympic break, and the next opponent is up a few weight classes.

Game Charts

Three Stars

  1. Ryan O’Reilly (NSH) — GWG
  2. Connor Bedard (CHI) — 1 goal, 5 SOG
  3. Steven Stamkos (NSH) — 1 goal, 4 SOG

What’s Next

The Blackhawks head to the Rocky Mountains for a game on Saturday at 5 p.m. against the league-leading Colorado Avalanche.

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