Predators prove they're no scaredy-cats

One goal.

Or, in this case, one bad goal.

It's more than a marketing slogan. It's really all it took for the Blackhawks to take a break from parade planning and remember that the Nashville Predators aren't afraid of the Hawks' press clippings.

In fact, they're not afraid of the Hawks at all.

"No, they're not scared of us,'' said two-time Stanley Cup winner John Madden, after the Hawks' 4-1 loss to Nashville at the UC Friday night. "They certainly have no problem playing in a one-goal game in the third period. That's what they do. That's what they're all about.''

The Preds played their game to perfection Friday, keeping the Hawks on the perimeter and letting them run around without much success, trailing only 1-0 heading into the third.

"They sat back in a 2-3 (zone) and didn't give us much,'' said Patrick Kane, who scored the Hawks' only goal on a rebound in the second period. "It felt like there was all kinds of room to work, but then we just couldn't get it down low and do anything.''

That's how the Preds operate, content to outwork the opposition, play it tight and wait for their break.

That came only 1:31 into the third, when ex-Hawk J.P. Dumont flipped a 30-foot backhander from the boards that bounced once in front of Antti Niemi and beat him stick-side low.

"They caught a break, got a bounce and took the momentum from us,'' Madden said. "We have to learn how to take it back when that happens. This can be a learning experience for us.''

One thing the Hawks learned the hard way was to avoid blueline turnovers, which is what occurred midway through the third.

Troy Brouwer, one of the Hawks' most responsible and intelligent forwards, got clipped just inside his own blueline and Dumont stole the puck.

Dumont immediately fed David Legwand, who sailed in and was stopped by Niemi, but as Brent Sopel skated past the net, the rebound came to Dumont, who never stopped skating and chipped in it for a 2-1 Nashville lead.

"The puck hopped on Troy. It was just one of those things that happens,'' Madden said. "The ice was not great, but it wasn't great for both teams.''

Up 2-1, Nashville shut down the Hawks' high-powered offense the rest of the way.

"They play a hard game, and they play simple, and they can frustrate you,'' Quenneville said. "We got a little out of our game after they got the lead.''

The Preds actually outshot the locals 13-4 in the third, something you don't expect to see on the West Side.

"It was not our best effort and we have to be better,'' Madden said, shaking his head. "We can't get outworked because we think we're a better club.

"Look around at all the games. There's a lot of parity out there right now. Every (playoff) game's a one-goal game.''

After a couple late empty-netters, the Hawks were left pondering the most lopsided loss of any team in the postseason so far, knowing Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne was outstanding, while Niemi let up a goal so soft it would have made Cristobal Huet proud.

"Chicago is a really good hockey team that came within an overtime win of being the top team in the West,'' said ex-Hawk Steve Sullivan. "I don't think one loss is going to hurt them.

"We're going to see a much better team in a couple days.''

So while the Hawks are down emotionally, in the reality of a long series, it's only one game.

"For our sake,'' Madden said, "it's a good thing.''

brozner@dailyherald.com

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