Nyquist Continues Point Streak, Saros Earns Shutout as Predators Defeat Blackhawks
Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly each scored power play goals and Juuse Saros made 21 saves to give Nashville a 3-0 win at home Tuesday night over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Nyquist Continues Point Streak, Saros Earns Shutout as Predators Defeat BlackhawksThe Nashville Predators welcomed the Chicago Blackhawks to Bridgestone Arena Tuesday night for a Central Division game in which both teams were looking for the win. Chicago was hoping to bounce back from a difficult 8-1 loss to the Dallas Stars while the Predators wanted to get back on track at home after losing their last three games at Bridgestone Arena.
The Predators opened the game with offensive pressure on Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom. At 4:43, Brett Seney headed to the box for a penalty, and at 5:16 Gus Nyquist scored on a shot from the circle to give Nashville the power play goal and the 1-0 lead.
The Predators continued to pressure offensively throughout the opening period, but with less than a minute to go, Jeremy Lauzon headed to the penalty box for an interference penalty. Nashville's penalty kill was able to get a clear, and the period ended with the Predators up 1-0 but the Blackhawks having 1:38 carrying over on the man advantage.
Chicago got two shots on goal in the remaining power play time, but Juuse Saros made the saves and the Predators were able to kill off the rest of Lauzon's penalty. Nashville got extended offensive zone time midway through the period after a Blackhawks stick broke and Beauvillier lost a skate blade, but the Predators couldn't capitalize on opportunity.
The Blackhawks got their chance with extended zone time and a broken stick just moments later when a tired Predators five sans Yakov Trenin's stick got stuck in the defensive zone. A self clear by Chicago gave Nashville the chance to make a much needed change.
A hard hit on Philipp Kurashev by Jeremy Lauzon provoked a response from Nick Foligno that earned him a two minute unsportsmanlike penalty and five minutes for both he and Lauzon at 17:10. The Predators' power play wasn't able to convert on the man advantage, and as time expired Juuso Pärssinen was whistled for a high stick. The teams headed into second intermission with the Predators hanging on to their one goal lead but two minutes of penalty kill time ahead of them to start the third period.
The Predators were able to kill off the two minute penalty to start the third period, but Chicago kept pushing to get the game tying goal. Midway through the third, Chicago had outshot Nashville 4-1.
At 11:43 Ryan O'Reilly headed to the penalty box for a hooking call, and Chicago got another chance on the power play. The penalty kill was able to keep the Blackhawks off the scoreboard on the man advantage. At 14:53, Boris Katchouk headed to the box for hooking Filip Forsberg, and Nashville got their third chance on the power play. Nineteen seconds into the power play, Connor Murphy joined Katchouk for the same infraction, and the Preds played five on three. Ryan O'Reilly made quick work of the chance scoring on a low cross ice pass from Filip Forsberg at 15:23.
The teams returned to five a side, and with just over a minute remaining, the Blackhawks went empty net and added an extra attacker. With :33 seconds remaining, Luke Evangelista scored on a shot from the red line to make it a 3-0 Predators win.