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Predators 4, Blackhawks 1: Nashville Takes Series Lead With Home Ice Win
Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Pekka Rinne stopped 26 shots as the Nashville Predators took a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 to take the series lead in a Western Conference quarterfinal matchup.
David Legwand had a goal and two assists while Joel Ward and Shea Weber each notched goal for the Predators, who now hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Martin Erat added a penalty-shot tally late in the game.
Tomas Kopecky scored the lone goal while Antti Niemi was charged with all four goals on 35 shots for the Blackhawks, who failed to build on a 2-0 win in Game 2 on Sunday.
Nashville, which has never won a playoff series, will have the opportunity to take a commanding lead in the series on Thursday in Game 4 from Music City.
Nashville drew first blood in the game at the 13-minute mark of the first period. Legwand had the puck and skated behind the net out to the right side where he sent a pass to the front. Steve Sullivan’s one-timer was stopped by Niemi, but the rebound sat at the doorstep and Ward was able to backhand it in.
Chicago, though, tied the game later in the first on the power play. Kris Versteeg tipped a pass from the slot to the front of the net where Kopecky backhanded it past Rinne with 2:25 left in the frame.
In the second, Nashville scored twice in the first half of the frame for a 3-1 lead.
The first goal came four minutes in as a clear out of the Nashville end resulted in a 2-on-1 back the other way and Sullivan chipped the puck from the right circle to the slot where Legwand tipped it in on the fly.
Near the midway mark of the frame, Weber cranked a shot from the high slot that changed course off the stick of Chicago's Marian Hossa and snuck past Niemi.
Rinne was sharp in the second stanza as he stopped all 10 shots he saw to allow Nashville take a two-goal lead into the final period.
Late in the third, Erat was hooked on the arm during a breakaway by Dustin Byfuglien. He was awarded a penalty shot and buried a wrister into the right corner with 5:35 to play to seal the win.
Nashville was still without forward Patric Hornqvist, who has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury. Also, defenseman Denis Grebeshkov, who has been sidelined since March 7 with a groin injury, did not play. Both players were questionable coming into the game...The Predators are 0-4 all- time in playoff series, having lost twice to Detroit (2004, 2008) and San Jose (2006-07)...Legwand has five points in the series...Chicago went 1-for-4 on the power play while Nashville was 0-for-5.
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