Predators Rely on Defense, Goaltending & Kunin to Overcome Blackhawks

3 years ago  /  The Hockey Writers  /  Read Time: 2 minutes 55 seconds

• The Nashville Predators earned a crucial five out of possible six points against their division rival Chicago Blackhawks this past week.
• Prior to the start of the three-game series, the Predators won all five meetings against the Blackhawks, to the dismay of Chicago fans everywhere.
• Since the beginning of March, his record is 12-4-0 with a 1.75 GAA and a .945 save percentage. As my colleague Jeff Middleton said, if it wasn’t for Saros’ inconsistent play at the beginning of the season, he would be a candidate for the Vezina Trophy. .
• “We’re fighting for a playoff spot, and Chicago is as well, so we’ve had that mindset for the last 20 or so games,” Kunin said to the media after his team’s Monday night victory over the Blackhawks.
• In the last match-up of the series, Kunin ended up with the game-winning goal, and was selected as third star of the game behind Saros and Malcolm Subban.
• Nashville’s final record against Chicago this season is 7-0-1. Since the Predators became a franchise in 1998, they have played more games against the Blackhawks than any other NHL team. Much like this season, Nashville’s overall record against Chicago favors Hynes’ team
• Nashville survived an intense battle this past week. Earning five out of six points was a big step towards a postseason appearance. Defenseman Ryan Ellis spoke to media after Friday’s victory and said, “The last few games, we’ve established the way we want to play

...

Read Full Article.