Hawks' mistakes allow Predators to take series opener

Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz knows exactly what kind of team he has.

"Our organization is not built on flash and dash," Trotz said. "We make the best of what we have and do what we do."

Against the flash-and-dash Blackhawks on Friday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals, the Predators showed exactly what their coach was talking about.

The gritty Predators hung around and hung around and hung around, waited for the Hawks to make mistakes, then capitalized by scoring four times in the third period for a 4-1 win at the United Center.

The Hawks took a 1-0 lead to the third period, but critical mistakes by goalie Antti Niemi and winger Troy Brouwer resulted in goals that turned the game into a nightmare.

"The good thing is it's going to be a long series, hopefully," Hawks winger Patrick Sharp said. "The season is not over my any means. It's just one game and we can regroup. We've got to find a way to be better, and we will on Sunday."

The stunning developments of the third period started at 1:31 when a harmless-looking backhand dump to the net by Nashville's J.P. Dumont from past the right circle bounced through a startled Niemi.

"It took a funny hop, a funny bounce, and sometimes they go in," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "We were still in a good spot. That's why I wasn't too happy with the second goal."

Dumont got the second goal as well with 9:23 to play on a rebound after a turnover by Brouwer inside his own blue line.

"The second goal is a tough one to give up," Quenneville said. "We had possession, we had fresh legs and turned it over at a critical spot."

The Predators added a pair of empty-net goals in the final minute after Niemi had been pulled for a sixth attacker.

The Hawks had 26 shots on goal, but their high-powered offense was stymied for the most part by a clogging Nashville defense led by defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter.

"I don't know if we were pressing a little too hard or trying to do it by ourselves," Hawks winger Patrick Kane said.

"They know how to hang around games and they've played a ton of 1-goal games," center John Madden said. "They don't give a whole lot up and that game fit them to a T. We've got to find a way to score goals without taking chances and giving up too much. They play a real gritty style and we've got to find a way to fight through it."

Kane broke a scoreless tie at 9:43 of the second period when he crashed the net to bang home a Sharp rebound.

Until then, Predators goalie Pekka Rinne frustrated the Hawks with several big saves, including a poke check on Sharp busting in late in the first period.

The Hawks carried much of the play in the second period, outshooting the Predators 12-6, but the fluky goal by Dumont early in the third changed everything.

"Obviously, it gave us some belief right there," Trotz said. "I thought we were a little bit rusty today because we haven't played a lot of games in the last two weeks. That first goal got us rolling and we were able to get our legs under us and a little confidence."

The last thing Dumont expected was for his soft shot to go in the net.

"My goal was just put it on net and hopefully it was going to create a rebound or something," Dumont said. "It was a lucky bounce, but we'll take it."

In the end it was a perfect road game for the Predators with Rinne outplaying Niemi.

"I think we had quality chances," Sharp said. "Give their goaltender credit. Give their team defense credit for clearing puck out of the front of the net. We didn't really have many second and third opportunities like we would have liked."