Marian Hossa scored twice, each on a breakaway, but it wasn't enough to spark the Blackhawks to victory over the Predators.
The Hawks were worn out by Nashville after enduring a rough night of travel (did not arrive until 2:30 AM) and it had shown as the game rolled on. The Predators played very physical and the Hawks matched the intensity but tired legs wilted away their chances over the course of the game.
The turning point clearly was an awkward dump-in that bounced over Crawfords right shoulder and into the net. This put Nashville ahead 2-1 and they took advantage of the flustered Hawks from that point on. Corey let in 2 more goals which forced Quenneville to yank him in favor of Ray Emery.
Offense was scarce for both sides despite the Predators netting 5 goals, a typical staple of their game-plan. Only 45 shots were fired throughout the entire game between both teams, perhaps 10 or so of them proving to be scoring opportunities.
The Blackhawks were not only hurt on the score sheet but the line-up took a big hit as well. Jonathan Toews exited the game early to what Joel Quenneville calls a "day-to-day" injury. Despite Toews starting the game, it is believed that he may have suffered the injury against Florida the night prior to this game. If he misses any significant time it will certainly hurt the Blackhawks chances of solidifying the division, especially with Patrick Sharp out for about 3 more weeks.
If his injury is more serious than originally thought it may force Bowman to make a trade earlier than he expected.
Nick Leddy regressed after putting together 5 solid performances that gave the impression that he may be turning a corner in his development. As of late, it seems as if the Blackhawks go as the Leddy/Hjalmarsson pairing go. Although I don't think the loss is entirely pinned on those two considering the team lacked fresh legs, it's worth noting that it is absolutely mandatory that they play well if the Blackhawks want to see extended success this season.
BLACKHAWKS THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Marian Hossa
2. Brent Seabrook
3. Andrew Shaw
Original Story:
http://www.indianheadnation.com/page/...
The Hawks were worn out by Nashville after enduring a rough night of travel (did not arrive until 2:30 AM) and it had shown as the game rolled on. The Predators played very physical and the Hawks matched the intensity but tired legs wilted away their chances over the course of the game.
The turning point clearly was an awkward dump-in that bounced over Crawfords right shoulder and into the net. This put Nashville ahead 2-1 and they took advantage of the flustered Hawks from that point on. Corey let in 2 more goals which forced Quenneville to yank him in favor of Ray Emery.
Offense was scarce for both sides despite the Predators netting 5 goals, a typical staple of their game-plan. Only 45 shots were fired throughout the entire game between both teams, perhaps 10 or so of them proving to be scoring opportunities.
The Blackhawks were not only hurt on the score sheet but the line-up took a big hit as well. Jonathan Toews exited the game early to what Joel Quenneville calls a "day-to-day" injury. Despite Toews starting the game, it is believed that he may have suffered the injury against Florida the night prior to this game. If he misses any significant time it will certainly hurt the Blackhawks chances of solidifying the division, especially with Patrick Sharp out for about 3 more weeks.
If his injury is more serious than originally thought it may force Bowman to make a trade earlier than he expected.
Nick Leddy regressed after putting together 5 solid performances that gave the impression that he may be turning a corner in his development. As of late, it seems as if the Blackhawks go as the Leddy/Hjalmarsson pairing go. Although I don't think the loss is entirely pinned on those two considering the team lacked fresh legs, it's worth noting that it is absolutely mandatory that they play well if the Blackhawks want to see extended success this season.
BLACKHAWKS THREE STARS OF THE GAME
1. Marian Hossa
2. Brent Seabrook
3. Andrew Shaw
Original Story:
http://www.indianheadnation.com/page/...
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January 21, 2012
