Keith Scores As Blackhawks Beat Predators 4-3 In Double OT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Duncan Keith scored at 7:49 of double overtime, and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied from a three-goal deficit after the first period in beating the Nashville Predators 4-3 Wednesday night.
The Blackhawks finished only two points back of Nashville in the Central Division, and they grabbed home-ice advantage back despite benching Corey Crawford after the first period. Scott Darling stopped every subsequent shot, making 42 saves in his postseason debut as Nashville took a franchise-record 54 shots.
Jonathan Toews had a goal and an assist, and Niklas Hjalmarsson, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews each scored for Chicago. Patrick Kane also had two assists in his return after missing 21 games with a broken collarbone.
Colin Wilson scored twice and Viktor Stalberg had a goal, all in the first period for the Predators.
Game 2 is Friday night in Nashville.
Chicago came in leading the NHL with 57 postseason wins dating back to 2009 with two Stanley Cup titles — and just missed playing for another last year, losing the Western Conference finals in seven games. So falling behind 0-3 after the first period was no big deal for the Blackhawks.
Nashville was playing its first postseason game since 2012 and had a standing room only crowd. The Predators missed their first division title with a late-season skid and came into the playoffs in an 0-4-2 slide. Chicago lost its last four regular-season games.
Both teams looked ready for the postseason, though the Blackhawks didn't get going until the second period.
The Predators got a nice boost from a crowd filled with Nashville fans after the team limited early ticket sales to this game to local stores and the box office. That kept the inside of the arena painted gold, with very few of the Blackhawks faithful who usually take advantage of the short flight from Chicago on hand.
Nashville forced Crawford out with three goals on 12 shots in the first period.
Wilson, who snapped a 15-game goal drought, scored first with a wrister and then tipping a shot by Seth Jones. Stalberg, waived twice by Nashville this season, spending much of the season in Milwaukee, scored on a wraparound late in the first period when Crawford got caught at the end boards playing the puck.
Darling was helped by facing only four shots in the second period as Chicago answered with three goals — two with a man advantage. Hjalmarsson scored on a snap shot on 4-on-4, then Sharp scored on a slap shot just 11 seconds after getting a 5-on-3.
Then 17 seconds after Mattias Ekholm went to the box for cross checking, Toews tied it from close range.
Darling got Chicago to overtime with a handful of big saves in the third period, stopping Ryan Ellis and then Roman Josi by sticking his right leg out to the post. He had several more stops in the overtimes, and officials missed Keith pulling Taylor Beck down by grabbing the back of his pants in the first overtime.
Notes: Chicago and coach Joel Quenneville are 10-7 in the first game of a playoff series. ... The Predators finished without center Mike Fisher, who left with a lower-body injury after playing 25 seconds of the second period. ... Both Chicago and Nashville managed three goals each on their last 25 power plays of the regular season; the Blackhawks had two with the Predators one in this game. ... Nashville is 2-6 all-time in overtime in the playoffs.
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