Blackhawks at Predators
The Chicago Blackhawks are close to clinching their first Central Division title in three seasons. A sweep of their home-and-home series with the Nashville Predators this weekend - starting Saturday in Nashville - might do just that for the Blackhawks, who have earned at least one point in each of their last three games. Chicago, which won 3-0 at Nashville on Feb. 10 and defeated the Predators 3-2 in a shootout on Monday, is 11-0-1 against division opponents after dropping a 4-3 shootout decision to St. Louis on Thursday. Corey Crawford has made the last three starts for the Blackhawks after Ray Emery lost for the first time in 14 outings last week against Anaheim.
The Predators have one win in their last five games (1-2-2) and find themselves at the bottom of the division facing an uphill battle to make the playoffs. Nashville lost 3-1 to Columbus on Thursday, and goaltender Pekka Rinne showed his frustration in his team’s recent play when he was called for tripping in the first period. Rinne has started 35 of the Predators’ 38 games and has performed admirably behind the eighth-worst offense in the league (93 goals), posting 14 wins with a 2.31 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. No player on Nashville has more than 22 points, and its power play has produced one goal in its last 18 opportunities.
TV: 3 p.m. ET, CSN (Chicago), FSN Tennessee (Nashville)
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (27-5-4): Chicago was not a major buyer at the trade deadline, targeting minor deals like acquiring Michal Handzus from San Jose for a fourth-round pick instead of packaging prospects and picks to land a marquee name. The lack of a big move suggests the Blackhawks have confidence in their organizational depth, and if rookie Brandon Saad is any indication, they should. Saad has recorded four goals and an assist in his last three games and finished March with 15 points, which only trailed captain Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane (18 points each). Marian Hossa returned on Thursday after missing six games with an upper-body injury and finished plus-2 with four shots in over 21 minutes of ice time.
ABOUT THE PREDATORS (15-15-8): Nashville pulled off possibly the shrewdest move at the trade deadline, dealing Martin Erat and Michael Latta for prized prospect Filip Forsberg. The 18-year-old Forsberg, selected 11th overall in 2012, had 33 points in 38 games with Leksands IF in Sweden and automatically becomes the top offensive prospect in the Predators organization. Unfortunately, Forsberg can’t help Nashville with its scoring problems this season, and losing Erat (21 points) will do more harm than good in the short-term. Colin Wilson resumed skating last week but remains out indefinitely as he's missed 13 games with an upper-body injury. Mike Fisher returned on Thursday after missing three games with a hand injury but was ineffective against Columbus, snapping his eight-game point streak. Gabriel Bourque left Monday’s game against Chicago with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day.
OVERTIME
1. The last time the Blackhawks won the Central Division (2009-10), they also captured the Stanley Cup.
2. Toews has six points in his last three games and 27 points in 28 career contests against Nashville.
3. The Blackhawks and Predators will meet once more after this home-and-home series, at Chicago on April 19.
PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Predators 1