NHL Betting – Predators Pray on Hawks at Home
The Nashville Predators took a 2-1 series lead for the first time in franchise history on Tuesday night with a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Has Coach Barry Trotz found a recipe to slow down the mighty Hawks? Game 4 on Thursday night will go a long way in telling if this was a blip on Chicago’s radar or if Nashville truly has an answer for the talented Hawks.
Chicago Blackhawks @ Nashville Predators
8:30 PM ET, Thursday, April 22, 2010
Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville leads series 2-1
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- The Nashville Predators ranked 18th on offense, and averaged 2.6 goals per game. The Predators are 15.8% on the power play and had 47 power play goals.
- The Chicago Blackhawks ranked 3rd on offense, and averaged 3.1 goals per game. The Blackhawks are 17.7% on the power play and had 54 power play goals.
- The Predators averaged 2.5 goals per game at home, and gave up 2.4 goals against on defense.
- The Blackhawks averaged 3.1 goals per game on the road, and gave up 2.6 goals against on defense.
The Chicago Blackhawks were expecting a tough series with the quietly effective Predators but a 2-1 series deficit was definitely not in the cards. After a strong Game 2 performance on home ice, the Blackhawks got beaten at their own game on Tuesday night.
The offensive superstars of the Chicago Blackhawks were completely neutralized by the tight checking and trap style of the Nashville Predators. The key to beating the trap is to dump the puck in and create a strong forecheck game. The Blackhawks were unable to do so effectively on Tuesday because the Preds dominated the time of possession and were able to keep the puck from getting deep in their own zone. Kane Toews and Sharp were shut out in Game 3 and will need to be better against the disciplined Predators. The Hawks have a decided edge in talent and now is the time to show it.
It would be easy to blame goaltender Antti Niemi for the loss, but Tuesday’s defeat was not his fault. The Predators came out fast and furious and largely dominated the play.
The Nashville Predators employed their game plan to perfection on Tuesday night. They were able to start quickly, get some shots on goal and get the edge in the physical play. For the Preds to be successful they cannot be pushed around by the Hawks and knowing this, Nashville did a good job of being aggressive but not careless.
The Nashville offense was once again forced to play without its top scorer Patric Hornqvist who was sitting out his second game with an upper body injury. Light scoring David Legwand picked up the slack and registered one goal and two assists while Joel Ward, Shea Webber and Martin Erat each tallied for the Preds. If Nashville could ever get their power play going (0 for 12 in the series), they could be a scary team.
Defensively, any time that you hold the league’s third best offense to one goal, you have done your job. Shea Webber is a stud and is making life miserable for the Chicago skill players. Pekka Rinne is on top of his game and even in the 2-0 loss in Game 2, he was a standout.
The Nashville Predators have the perfect formula for success against a skill team like the Chicago Blackhawks. It will be up to the youngsters to adapt to the Preds aggressive style. I think they will and even the series on Thursday night.
Pick: Chicago Blackhawks +135
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Chicago Blackhawks Betting Trends:
- Chicago is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
- The total has gone OVER in 17 of Chicago’s last 25 games on the road
- Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Nashville Predators Betting Trends:
- Nashville is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Nashville’s last 15 games
- Nashville is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville’s last 5 games at home
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