The Bernstein Brief: Predators' Win In Game 1 Will Be Tough To Copy
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) Tip your cap to an opponent that took advantage of a chance and executed a strategy that probably won't keep working.
Deciding to let the Blackhawks possess the puck and shoot at your goalie all day might seem counterintuitive for good reason, but the Predators got away with it for a night in a 1-0 win in Game 1 of the first-round series on Thursday at the United Center. A defensive mistake allowed for that lone early goal, and Nashville went into old-fashioned shutdown mode by blocking and challenging shots and trapping puck-carriers, seemingly content to let Chicago spend the balance of the game in the attacking zone.
If that's the entirety of the plan, then good luck with it. It's no way to beat a team with the multi-level firepower the Blackhawks have, no way to erase any deficit that will inevitably soon exist. A Joel Quenneville team that has the puck more often than the other is probably going to score more goals.
Trying to squeeze the life out of the Blackhawks and hang onto the smallest advantage is a way to steal a game but not a series.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Bernstein and Goff Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.
