NHL Betting – Blackhawks Attempt to Pacify Predators
The Chicago Blackhawks have put together the series’ first two game winning streak en route to a 3-2 series lead against the Nashville Predators. The Predators will get another game at home on Monday night and will attempt to forget about the 3-0 loss that they suffered the last time they skated at home. If we know one thing about the Nashville Predators – they will fight to the end and give Chicago all that they can handle.
Chicago Blackhawks @ Nashville Predators
9:00 PM ET, Monday, April 26, 2010
Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
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- The Nashville Predators ranked 18th on offense, and averaged 2.6 goals per game. The Predators were 15.3% on the power play and had 47 power play goals.
- The Chicago Blackhawks ranked 3rd on offense, and averaged 3.1 goals per game. The Blackhawks were 17.7% on the power play and had 55 power play goals.
- The Predators averaged 2.5 goals per game at home, and gave up 2.4 goals against on defense.
- The Blackhawks averaged 3.1 goals per game on the road, and gave up 2.5 goals against on defense.
The Chicago Blackhawks are on the verge of eliminating a very tough Nashville team but will need a win on the road to finish the series early. The Hawks dodged a bullet in Game 5, blowing a 3-1 lead only to tie the game with a shorthanded goal with thirteen seconds left in regulation time. A goal in overtime by Marian Hossa who had just finished serving his five minute major penalty won the game.
The Chicago Blackhawks have been playing well enough on offense to have eliminated the Predators already. Marian Hossa has been good scoring a goal and adding an assist in Game 5, Patrick Kane has been great chipping in a goal and an assist and Jonathan Toews has been better as demonstrated by his two assist effort in Game 5. The best players have been the best players and they are the reason that the Hawks have won two straight and are on the verge of advancing.
Goaltender Antti Niemi has been holding his own although he followed up his Game 4 shutout with four goals allowed in Game 5 on just 21 shots. Goaltending has not been a major issue yet in the playoffs for Chicago, but Game 5 has demonstrated that it is far from solid.
The Nashville Predators were forced to play without their leading scorer Patric Hornqvist once again on Saturday but competed well in his absence. The team showed some heart on the road coming back from a 3-1 deficit to eventually take a lead into the final 15 seconds of the third period. Giving up a shorthanded goal with thirteen seconds left and then surrendering the overtime winner in less than five minutes into the extra period was a tough break, one that might be too difficult to move on from.
Martin Erat finally woke up and scored a couple of goals on Saturday while Joel Ward and David Legwand added a goal and an assist. Denis Grebeshkov made his playoff debut and registered two assists for a Nashville team that is in desperate need of an offensive injection. The Preds power play is non-existent. They are scoreless on 21 chances in the playoffs and now are 1 for 40 against the Blackhawks this season!
Goaltender Pekka Rinne cannot be faulted with any of the goals that have been scored on him so far in this post season. He has been as solid as a rock for Nashville and if they force a Game 7 it will likely be because Rinne has stolen a game for them.
The Chicago Blackhawks are simply the better team right now. Nashville might be buoyed by the hometown crowd for a while, but the absence of Patric Hornqvist might finally catch up to the Preds. The Hawks know that Vancouver is waiting for them and they will want to get a few days rest before a slugfest with Vancouver.
Pick: Chicago Blackhawks -155
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