Power Play: Forsberg's hat trick helps Predators stave off elimination
Nashville, Tenn. -- For the first time in franchise history, the Nashville Predators (2-3) staved off elimination on home ice by beating the Chicago Blackhawks (3-2) after notching four goals in the third period.
The Blackhawks will host a pivotal game six -- another elimination game for Nashville -- in Chicago on Saturday night.
Whistleless hockey and keeping the scale balanced
The series between Nashville and Chicago has been so balanced that both teams continue the play up and down the ice for long stretches without a whistle.
And not just for two or three minutes, but for over nine minutes of hockey did both teams test each other Thursday before Blackhawks forward Brad Richards beat Pekka Rinne five-hole to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.
That was a lead that lasted all of 75 seconds before Filip Forsberg tied the game off a face-off win and ripped a shot behind Blackhawks goaltender Scott Darling.
That's exactly how it's been this series: stretches where both rosters patiently waited each other out -- searching for weak points -- before chipping a piece of armor off and landing a blow. It's almost like a fencing match, if you can even imagine it like that.
"Sometimes pucks go in, sometimes they don't," said defenseman Seth Jones. "I think we've tried to maintain a shot mentality through the whole series. Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don't."
Nashville has had four games to find out what makes the Blackhawks tick, three games to find a way to beat Darling consistently and two games that just slipped out of their hands in overtime.
It's no surprise that Game 5 would play out the exact same way.
Missing chances
One thing the Predators could be lamenting when this series ends is missed chances. Chances that -- if they had buried them -- could've seen this series flipped the other way around instead of Nashville trailing three games to two heading into Game 6.
Thursday's examples exemplify this perfectly.
During the second period, Mike Ribeiro found himself alone with the puck maybe 30 feet out with a slew of players separating him from a one-on-one battle with Darling. Ribeiro danced around multiple Blackhawks before sending a feed to a waiting Colin Wilson with a wide open net -- one Wilson would''t be able to tap the puck into.
Just moments later, Seth Jones would secure the puck off to Darling's left with a prime scoring opportunity as Chicago's netminder was still pushing him. Releasing the shot about a half-second too late, Jones' opportunity was blocked off and play continued.
"We felt like we played pretty well in the first two, but we also felt like we could be better," said forward Matt Cullen. "We're in a desperate situation."
Both chances could have given Nashville the lead they so desired, but became empty opportunities instead.
Unfortunately, that's just how it's gone for the Predators. Whether it was one goal or one chance short, it's the difference between wins and losses in the playoffs.
"You're tied going into the third period and you're thinking it could be another long night," said head coach Peter Laviolette. "We had some chances to score [in the second] and we didn't get it done. You don't know how the game is going to play."
The candle flickers on
With 20 minutes potentially left in the season and the game tied at one apiece, Nashville knew it was do or die to make some kind of last stand.
They may have waited three games to do so, but the Predators made their statement in a big way -- all in a span of two minutes and 27 seconds.
"It's late to be making statements, but it's all about getting the win," said Cullen. "It was a really good team effort. We played some good hockey. Understanding the situation that we were in, we had our backs against the wall and now we get another chance to just fight again with our backs against the wall."
James Neal slipped a wraparound shot past Darling just 47 seconds into the period. Two minutes later, Wilson and Forsberg ripped home blasts 12 seconds apart and gave Nashville a decisive three-goal lead they'd hold onto for the remainder of the game.
Incredibly, Nashville's been looking for this type of performance since lighting up Corey Crawford for six goals in Game 2. It just hasn't been there, for one reason or another.
Thursday was a different story. The Predators saw the return of center Mike Fisher -- an obvious boost to their second line. Neal and Forsberg totaled five points between them. Rinne stopped all but two of the shots he faced -- looking like an early season edition of himself in the process.
In every game outside of Game 3, Nashville has been better and better. In Game 5, they upped the on-ice product one more notch.
The question now is can they do it again. They've yet to beat Chicago in the United Center this season, coming close but falling short every time.
"It's a tough building to play in, for sure," said Jones. "The atmosphere ... some people get intimidated by it. I think we can use it to our advantage and see where that takes us. We have to manage the puck well, especially in that building. They feed on momentum really easily.
"A couple of good shifts could lead to a goal and eventually into another goal very quickly there. Every shift is so important and every decision we make with the puck is so important, especially against their top players."
If the Predators aim to return one more time to Bridgestone Arena and do what no team has done before in the 89 year history of the Blackhawks -- force them to game seven when down 3-1 in a series -- then they'll have to enter enemy territory and come out as victors.
There is no choice. Do or die. One more night. That's what Nashville has earned themselves with the victory in Game 5.
"Your entire focus is just on one game. One game is our season. That's our only focus is winning this next game," said Cullen. "We just have to find a way. It's progressive game sevens. We just have to win this next one and hopefully bring it home."
Filip Forsberg -- The first hat trick in Nashville postseason history was recorded by none other than Forsberg, who was snubbed just hours earlier on a chance to win the Calder Trophy. It was also his first career hat trick, and maybe the first of many.
James Neal -- The Predators have waited patiently for Neal's offensive touch to ease its way back in. Adding a goal and an assist onto the statsheet, Neal was Nashville's only other multi-point scorer outside of Forsberg.
Pekka Rinne -- Rinne has progressively been better in every game, outside of Game 3. He stopped 28 of 30 shots -- one of the two goals allowed coming off a filthy feed via Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane. Nashville needs Rinne to be elite to win against Chicago. Maybe he's finally returning to form.
