Even higher level of desperation now for Chicago Blackhawks

Desperation mode.

That's what the Chicago Blackhawks vowed to be in during Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against Nashville on Saturday night at the United Center.

Unfortunately for Hawks fans, it was the Predators who played with loads of tenacity, grit and determination en route to an easy 5-0 victory.

The Predators expected a heck of a test out of the Blackhawks, but defenseman P.K. Subban was adamant that his team wouldn't back down from how it played in a 1-0 Game 1 victory Thursday.

"Desperation is something that you have to have every second of every game in the playoffs," Subban said Friday. "The tide can turn so quickly.

"I felt that for our hockey club we were very composed (in Game 1) for a team that doesn't have three Stanley Cups in their back pocket."

While they proved that again Saturday, it was the Hawks who came unraveled at the end of Game 2 when Ryan Hartman was given a 10-minute misconduct penalty for hitting a prone Craig Smith with a forearm to the head with 1:25 remaining.

Asked about it afterward, coach Joel Quenneville said he hasn't seen the replay.

Marian Hossa said the Hawks might be trying to get too cute as they find a way to squeeze a puck past Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne.

"Seems like lots of shifts we try to do too much and they're just waiting for us in the neutral zone," Hossa said. "It's not going our way. So we have to maybe relax (and) play with more desperation."

Road warriors:

The Blackhawks tied a franchise record with 24 road victories this season, but that was of little solace to Jonathan Toews after his team fell into an 0-2 hole.

"We know that the regular season doesn't mean anything at this point, and that team knows it," Toews said. "We've got to be way better than we have been in these last two games."

Perfect Pekka:

Pekka Rinne has stopped all 59 shots he has seen in the Predators' 2 victories over the Hawks. When told Rinne credited his teammates for making it easy on him, coach Peter Laviolette said: "He's lying first of all. There were some unbelievable saves, especially in the third period when the game is 3-0."

Not worried about it:

Although the NHL - for now - has said it will not participate in next year's Olympics, some players have indicated they might leave their team and play anyway.

Asked if he's concerned about Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews or other Blackhawks going that route, general manager Stan Bowman said Thursday that "we haven't crossed that bridge yet. The Olympics are going to become a focus down the road. Right now we're just about to start the playoffs, so I haven't had those discussions with anybody internally.

"And nobody's approached me on it, so it's not something I have an answer for right now."

Slap shots:

Dennis Rasmussen and Vinnie Hinostroza made their playoff debuts in Game 2, taking the place of John Hayden and Jordin Tootoo. Rasmussen had 2 shots on goal and 3 hits in 11:04. … The Predators were credited with 48 hits Saturday. Austin Watson (8) and James Neal (7) combined for 15. … Joel Quenneville said that Andrew Desjardins (lower body) should be able to start skating soon. Desjardins was injured in the second-to-last-game of the season at Anaheim. … The Hawks under Quenneville are 13-9 in Game 2s.