Chicago Blackhawks drop to 6th in the Central Division after a 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators
In a week featuring three games against the Nashville Predators that could make or break the Chicago Blackhawks’ season, they couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start.
The Hawks were undone Monday by back-to-back Predators goals in the second period and another in the third in a 5-2 loss at Bridgestone Arena.
“It sucks,” said Hawks forward Alex DeBrincat, who scored the Hawks’ first goal. “We have a few breakdowns, about two minutes of poor hockey, and they score four goals. We’ve got to be better.”
After each team scored in the first period, the Predators jumped back in front about five minutes into the second.
Not long after Hawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen made an impressive save with his right leg fully outstretched to the far post, the Predators’ Calle Jarnkrok nudged his way into the slot, took a pass from a wide-open Mikael Granlund from below the goal line and buried a shot to Lankinen’s stick side.
Less than a minute later, Duncan Keith’s turnover in the Predators zone led to a breakaway for Nashville defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who beat Lankinen to his glove side.
David Kampf brought the Hawks within 3-2 when he scored on a persistent shift that found the Predators scrambling. It was Kampf’s first goal since March 3, 2020.
But everything unraveled for the Hawks early in the second in two strange sequences. On the first shift of the third period, defenseman Connor Murphy’s helmet came off, requiring him to head immediately for the bench. That left Tanner Jeannot wide open in front of the net, and Ryan Ellis found him with a pass from the right boards to make it 4-2.
“It’s really frustrating; I don’t really like that rule,” Murphy said. If a player cannot immediately put his helmet back on, he must head to the bench or his team would be penalized. “You have to take yourself out of the play. ... Maybe it’s worth taking a penalty instead of giving a guy a free path to the net to score.”
The Predators increased their lead to 5-2 just 18 seconds later on another unusual play. Keith fell as he tried to retreat to a defensive position, giving Luke Kunin a wide-open chance in front of the net that he deposited past Lankinen.
Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton pulled Lankinen (14 saves) shortly after and replaced him with Malcolm Subban, though it appeared to be an attempt to stymie the Predators’ momentum rather than a criticism of Lankinen’s play. Subban stopped all six shots he faced.
The Hawks (47 points) now find themselves in sixth place in the Central Division behind the Predators (51) and Dallas Stars (48), who climbed over the Hawks by beating the Detroit Red Wings on Monday.
The Hawks and Predators square off Wednesday and Friday at the United Center.
An injury to Wyatt Kalynuk (left hip) early in the first period left the Hawks with only five defensemen for most of the game. Kalynuk played just 1 minute, 42 seconds.
The Hawks also were without left wing Brandon Hagel, who was held out as the team awaited a second negative COVID-19 test.
Adam Gaudette replaced Hagel in the lineup and assisted on Kampf’s goal.
The Hawks are testing players and canceling or altering practice when athletes are added to the unavailable list or COVID-19 protocol.
