Power Play: Nashville on the ropes after heartbreaking triple-OT loss
In the longest game in franchise history, the Nashville Predators (1-3) saw both of their one-goal leads evaporate to the Chicago Blackhawks (3-1) before having their hearts broken by a Brent Seabrook goal in triple overtime.
Chicago leads the best-of-seven series three games to one with a chance to close it out Thursday night in Nashville.
SLAP SHOTS
Both teams too evenly matched
When a team scores after enough pressure, there is a sustainable amount of momentum that usually follows for the scoring team on their next handful of shifts.
For both Nashville and Chicago, that's been far from the case.
In Game 3, the Blackhawks found themselves relinquishing two separate leads each coming 31 and 22 seconds after they scored. Chicago was able to find another gear after it was tied up for the second time, scoring two unanswered goals and winning 4-2 to take the lead in the series.
During Game 4, the same script played out for the Predators, who gave up a 1-0 lead only 87 seconds after scoring. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't produce the same outcome as Chicago.
Momentum swings are part of the game, but any gain of momentum between these two teams has so quickly been dispersed that the game realigns itself back to its back-and-forth swing.
Between both clubs, it's hard to really expect anything different. Both came into this series matching up as equally as possible. Offensively, Chicago may have had the slight lead while Nashville had the lead defensively and in goaltending.
There's no clear winner yet and that's the mark of an excellent series on and off the ice. You can fully expect it to continue at this pace as well.
Nashville won a second period?
The Predators biggest issue for at least the past month has been their dreaded second period performances. It's become the one period in this series that Chicago has dominated and found a way into through each of the first three games.
It quite literally handed them the win in Game 3.
Coming into Game 4, the one thing on the mind of most Predators fans would be how Nashville would adjust to Chicago's never-ending press in the second period and counter it.
Surprisingly enough, Nashville would not only shut the Blackhawks down in the second period, but would tally a lead of its own.
The Predators have only shut out two opponents in the second period over the past month prior to Tuesday's game: Dallas on April 11th and Buffalo on March 21st.
They haven't had as dominant of a second period in terms of puck possession and shot differential since March 14th against Los Angeles.
Nashville stayed out of the box, forced turnovers in the defensive and neutral zone, doubled up Chicago 14-7 in shots for the period and scored the periods only goal.
Was it perfect? No, but it was the best second period Nashville's had in over a month. Which is something they'll need more of to win this series.
Preds digging their own graves
Entering the third period with a one-goal lead, the Predators had the statistics behind them. They had yet to allow a goal in the final 20 minutes of play in the series and had all the momentum.
Yet, there was the dreaded feeling that Chicago would tie the game up and send both teams into a dreaded late-night overtime session that could stretch on until early Wednesday morning.
Well, that's exactly what happened. A porous third-period performance by Nashville allowed the Blackhawks to tie it up and stretch the game three overtimes before ending it.
The main issue here? All of this was completely preventable by the Predators. Had they entered the third period with the same fire they had for the previous 40 minutes, they would have skated away with a regulation ending and a tie series coming back to Nashville for game five.
Instead, they spent an extra 41 minutes of ice time to decide the game and now Chicago is one game away from moving on to the second round.
THREE STARS
Scott Darling -- His performance was just as impressive as the ones he had in Games 1 and 3. Darling kept Chicago in the game through the first two periods before the Blackhawks started their push in the third. He stopped 50 of 52 shots. Goaltending controversy? I think not.
Pekka Rinne -- There wasn't anything more you could have asked of Rinne and that's what Nashville had been wanting from him all season. Stopping 45 of 48 shots, Rinne was the biggest reason they had a chance through five periods and into triple overtime.
Brent Seabrook -- The game-winner only one minute into the third overtime. In 33 minutes of play, two shots on goal but only one of them needed to count.
