Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) – Brent Seabrook scored a minute into the
third overtime to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 win over the Nashville
Predators in Game 4 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series.
Seabrook ended the marathon Wednesday morning with a big blast from just
inside the blueline. He one-timed a feed from Patrick Kane through a Bryan
Bickell screen and past Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne.
Scott Darling made 50 saves for the Blackhawks, who grabbed a commanding 3-1
series lead and will look to close out the Predators Thursday in Nashville.
“Every game has been on the line, very competitive series,” said Blackhawks
coach Joel Quenneville. “They played hard and we expect them to play even
harder next game.”
Rinne stopped 45 shots in the longest game in Predators history.
“Our guys are a resilient group, said Predators coach Peter Laviolette. “They
will not cave. They will not go away quietly.”
Nashville played its second straight game without top defenseman and captain
Shea Weber, who didn’t make the trip to Chicago because of a lower-body
injury.
Chicago knotted the score at 2-2 with 8:57 remaining in the third period.
Marian Hossa cut to the middle in the Nashville zone and made a drop pass to
Brandon Saad. Saad then skated down the slot and ripped a shot past Rinne on
the blocker side.
Rinne made a save on Hossa in the dying seconds of regulation and turned away
a bid from Duncan Keith without his goalie stick during a frantic first
overtime.
The Predators killed off a Blackhawks’ power play after Matt Cullen tripped
Saad in the early stages of the second overtime.
Chicago got another power play late in the second overtime when Filip Forsberg
was called for a delay of game penalty after shooting the puck over the glass.
But Andrew Shaw’s slashing penalty on Ryan Ellis cut short the man advantage.
The Blackhawks then killed off the Predators’ abbreviated power play.
Nashville took a 1-0 lead on Colin Wilson’s fourth goal of the playoffs, a
tip-in on a power play at 11:38 of the first period. He was parked in front
screening Darling and got a piece of Ellis’ slap shot after Seth Jones did a
great job to keep the puck in the Chicago zone.
Antoine Vermette tied it 1:27 later when he scored off a pass from Michal
Rozsival.
James Neal gave the Predators a 2-1 lead with 2:58 remaining in the second
period. A turnover by Keith in the Chicago zone wound up on the stick of Neal,
who slid the puck past Darling’s right pad and inside the left post.
Game Notes
Keith played 46 minutes and 19 seconds … Roman Josi led all Nashville
skaters in ice time (45:06) … Nashville forward Kevin Fiala, 18, made his
NHL playoff debut.
