Chasing Lord Stanley's Cup: A bounce here ... a bounce there

Every year, it's something.

Every year, a bounce here or there determines which team moves on in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

And which team ends up crestfallen, heartbroken.

And, eventually, which team is soaked in champagne while hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup.

Certainly no team knows that better than the Blackhawks, especially going back to the first title run of the Joel Quenneville era five years ago.

To wit:

• We all remember Patrick Kane ripping the puck past Flyers goalie Michael Leighton in Game 6 of the Final, then blazing down the ice in celebration. But don't forget it was also Kane who saved the Hawks in Round 1 when he scored - short-handed, no less - with his team 13.6 seconds away from falling into a 3-2 hole vs. Nashville.

• The next season, the Hawks dug themselves an 0-3 hole vs. Vancouver, forced a Game 7, only to lose in overtime. The Canucks, by the way, went all the way to the Final and lost to Boston in the seventh game.

• In 2013, the Hawks overcame a 3-1 series deficit to the Red Wings, then miraculously scored 2 goals in 17 seconds to claim a second Cup in four seasons by beating Boston in Game 6.

• Then, of course, came last year. After the Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 Game 7 lead vs. Los Angeles in the West finals, they still led 4-3 with under eight minutes to go. But the Kings squashed the Hawks' dreams when the puck hit Nick Leddy's backside and bounced past Corey Crawford, ending the series. And yes, the Kings won the Cup.

A bounce here, a bounce there. Sometimes - oftentimes - that's all it takes.

The bounces, checks, shots and saves all start Wednesday when the Blackhawks open in Nashville in an attempt to capture a third Cup in just six seasons. Adding to the excitement of Game 1, the Hawks also got the best news possible Tuesday as they said Kane will be on the ice for the first time since breaking his collarbone on Feb. 24.

"(This is) what we're wired for - is trying to be a champion at the end of it," Quenneville said. "We have a lot of guys that have some great experiences here. We'll definitely talk about the opportunity here being special and let everybody make a contribution to do everything we can to find a way to get it done."

Brad Richards, who lost in the Stanley Cup Final with the Rangers last year, echoed those thoughts.

"I can tell you all year how excited I was to play games in October, but when I signed (with the Hawks) in July I was thinking about this," Richards said.

Don't get cocky

There's a fair amount of temptation to label the Predators an easy out when you consider that they:

• Missed the playoffs the last two seasons.

• Imploded during the last quarter of this season.

• Choked in that Game 5 debacle vs. the Hawks five years ago.

• Dropped three of four to the Hawks this season, including blowing a 3-0 lead in December, the last time the teams met.

But Hawks radio analyst Troy Murray cautions against such thinking. Any team that can get off to a 41-13-7 start is not one to take lightly.

"They're a dangerous hockey team," Murray said. "They've got size, they've got good centermen down the middle and that's always something you need in the postseason. And when you have a defense like the Nashville Predators have, the ability to score goals consistently throughout their lineup and they have (goalie) Pekka Rinne - it's going to be a great challenge."

Before getting injured in mid-January, Rinne was playing MVP-like hockey, allowing just 1.97 goals per game. But since his return Feb. 5, Rinne has allowed 2.48 goals a game (17 in the last five contests).

Nashville's strength is its defensive core. The blue-liners are led by 6-foot-4, 233-pound Shea Weber, who has averaged 18.7 goals over the last six full seasons. Other defensemen to keep an eye on include the underrated Roman Josi (15 goals, 40 assists), Ryan Ellis (9 goals), Seth Jones (8) and Mattias Ekholm (7).

This team's offense clearly runs through its defense as illustrated by the 54 goals this fivesome have amassed. By way of comparison, the Hawks' top five scoring defensemen scored 26 times.

Who will step up?

Nashville's problem lately is that nobody's scoring.

Along with Weber and Josi, 20-goal scorers Colin Wilson, James Neal and Craig Smith are all in serious droughts.

"There needs to be a balance in scoring through the playoffs," Predators coach Peter Laviolette told reporters. "When it comes to the playoffs, the team that can fire on a lot of cylinders is the one that's successful and moves on to the second round."

One thing Richards said the Hawks must be prepared for is the speed that Nashville brings to the table.

"They're probably one of the fastest teams, the way they move the puck and the way they move as a unit," Richards said. "They probably have the most solid defense in the league in their number one through six and then you count their goalie, so it's going to be a fast, fast series.

"I would anticipate that if you're not skating, you'll get left behind."

Leading up to this week, much was made of home-ice advantage, but the Hawks have won plenty of series starting on the road.

"There might be an advantage sometimes in Game 7, but ask the Hawks what the advantage was last year in Game 7 (against L.A.)," Richards said. "The teams are so evenly matched now, road, home. ... There's so many young guys in the league that are fast and skilled, that they just go play hockey and I don't think it really matters much where."

No, sometimes all that matters is a bounce here.

A bounce there.

• Follow John's on Twitter @johndietzdh.

Tonight's faceoff

Blackhawks vs. Nashville at Bridgestone Arena, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

TV: NBCSN / CSN

Radio: WGN 720-AM

Series: Game 1 of a best-of-seven first-round series.

The skinny: In one sense, it's enough that Nashville has to worry about Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane and a host of other Hawks who tout a ton of playoff experience. But the Hawks really seem to have the Predators' number when you consider how they have to think of ways to keep Hawks fans out of their arena and also tweak what they're doing with the national anthem. ... Most of these games figure to be low-scoring, 1-goal affairs. For Nashville to pull off what many would consider to be an upset, it needs its top scorers to break out of prolonged scoring droughts. Included in that group are Shea Weber (1 goal in last 21 games), Colin Wilson (1 in last 22), James Neal (2 goals last 15) and Craig Smith (no goals last nine).

Next: Game 2 at Nashville on Friday, 8:30 p.m.

- John Dietz