Four fixes for Hawks to clinch
Hawks fans depressed about the team's 5-2 Game 5 loss to Nashville on Thursday should keep one thing in mind: In its long, storied history, the franchise has never blown a 3-1 series lead.
Ever.
Of course, there's a first time for everything and Predators coach Peter Laviolette certainly thinks his team could make history.
"I do not think our guys are ready to go home," Laviolette said. "They have never been without confidence. They are really young, and have never backed down from a challenge and have answered the bell."
They'll have to answer it twice, though, starting with Game 6 on Saturday at the United Center. Certainly, Nashville won't lack for confidence, especially after finally getting three pucks past goalie Scott Darling in Game 5's bang-bang-bang third period. Coach Joel Quenneville on Friday said he's sticking with Darling.
"He's played well in this series," Quenneville said. "You look at the four games he's been in, he's been solid and (we're) very happy with the way he's played."
Still, the Predators, who announced Friday that Shea Weber is out until at least the second round, have been the better team in large segments of this series, outshooting the Hawks 207-176 and outscoring them 18-15.
So let's take a look at four big keys to Quenneville and Co. ending things Saturday and not being forced into a winner-take-all scenario Monday in Nashville.
1. Fix the penalty kill:
Lately this has been a disaster for the Hawks. Over the last 17 games, the Hawks have killed off just 68.8 percent of their opponents' power plays. Buffalo, the league's worst team in this phase, killed 75.1 percent in the regular season.
Nashville (25th on the power play during the regular season) has converted 5 of 19 chances in the first five games. Colin Wilson has 4 of those 5 goals, so clearly the Hawks need to do a better job of keeping track of the young center.
2. Fix the power play:
Quenneville was happy with how Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Co. worked with the man advantage in Game 5, saying the power play looked the best it had all series. But the fact is that the Hawks have blown 13 straight power-play opportunities and are just 2-for-17 in the series.
"We'll look to do some things to ignite it," Quenneville said Friday, "but certainly it definitely showed some real good signs to either cash in or keep the momentum going in the game."
3. Rebound defensively:
On James Neal's wrap-around goal that started Nashville's 3-goal outburst in Game 5, Michal Rozsival whiffed on a puck that was sent whipping around the boards by Duncan Keith. Neal snarfed up the puck, fed it to Viktor Stalberg and got it right back to beat an out-of-position Darling.
Less than two minutes later, Rozsival was whistled for interference and Wilson capitalized with a power-play goal 32 seconds later.
"It happens so fast," Quenneville said. "You can look at, 'Are we thinking offensively when we give up a goal and now we're behind and we get a little bit out of our structure?' But we're an experienced bunch and we're not accustomed to giving up goals in sequences like that. We've got to take priority and (pay) attention to big shifts after goals against."
The Hawks must tighten things up against the lightning-fast Predators. One big question, though, is how much does Keith have left in the tank after being on the ice for over 73 minutes the last two games?
4. Sweet home, Chicago
Despite all the above issues, the fact remains that the Hawks are 21-4 at the United Center since the beginning of the 2013 postseason and they have an experienced group that knows how to close out a series.
"That's what we're planning to do," said defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. "We don't want to go back to Nashville."
The last time the Hawks had a chance to close out a series at home in a Game 6 came in the first round last year when they beat St. Louis 5-1. They scored 3 goals in under seven minutes to send the Blues packing.
"The deeper we go in series, the more meaningful the game, (our guys) rise to the challenge and the occasion," Quenneville said. "(The Predators) looked like they rose to the occasion in that third period (Thursday) knowing that they faced extinction and they played accordingly.
"We've got to have that same fight and attitude when we start tomorrow's game."
• Follow John's Hawks reports on Twitter @johndietzdh.