Blackhawks still trying to break through Predators

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It was something Marian Hossa repeated over and over again on Saturday night, because it was a problem for the Blackhawks over and over again in two consecutive games.

“It’s not good enough and we have to find a way to beat the neutral zone. That’s the number one thing,” Hossa said. “We’re trying to do too much and they’re just waiting for us in the neutral zone and it’s not going our way. We have to step back, play with more desperation. The first goal will be crucial. As soon as we break the first one, I believe we can create momentum out of it.”

Getting any goal has been an issue for the Blackhawks through the first two games of this first-round series against the Nashville Predators. The Predators have bottled things up on them and the Blackhawks haven’t found a consistent way of breaking through. 

“They have a pretty good defense and they play strong neutral zone,” Artem Anisimov said. “We just need to get through that and fight through the system and we’re going to be all right.”

Saying that has been one thing. Putting it into practice is another. Once again on Saturday the Blackhawks struggled to get through the Predators. When they did get good opportunities Pekka Rinne stopped him, or his goal posts did (Richard Panik and Jonathan Toews each hit one) or pucks bounced over sticks or off skates. As the game wore on the Blackhawks grew more frustrated.

Well, the Blackhawks are up against it now. They need to find a way to get through the Predators and get to Rinne on a consistent basis, or they’ll be heading to the offseason a lot sooner than they expected.

“We have so many guys who scored over 20 goals [in the regular season],” Hossa said. “Just get the first one and I’m sure they’re going to break some way and we can build on it.”

Lineup changes?

Coach Joel Quenneville said they could make a lineup change, “one or two,” for Game 3.

“But not too much difference, except how the compete level has to be raised and a couple of things we look at technically,” Quenneville said. “But certainly can’t be happy with [Saturday] night’s performance.”

Asked if defenseman Michal Kempny may be in, Quenneville said, “we’ll see.” One thing that won’t change is goaltender: Corey Crawford is expected to start on Monday night.

Hearing the boos

Fans at the United Center booed as the Blackhawks left the ice at second intermission on Saturday night. Players and coaches heard them and understood the fans’ frustration.

“It was tough. There was nothing you could really say about it. We weren’t playing our game,” Brent Seabrook said. “Fans in Chicago are great fans. They support us through thick and thin and we weren’t holding our end of the bargain [Saturday] night.”

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