Blackhawks Even Series With Shutout Win

After dropping two of their first three games against the Nashville Predators, the Chicago Blackhawks were under some pretty intense scrutiny from the local fans and media. A bit premature, of course, but let's face it, the Predators are a team that's proven they're able to suck the life out of an opposing offense -- including Chicago's, based on the results of the regular season series -- and it's not really a surprise that they're giving the Blackhawks everything they can handle so far.

Still, Chicago managed to silence some of its critics on Thursday by tying the series at two games, thanks to a 3-0 shutout win in Nashville that saw Antti Niemi stop all 33 shots he faced for his second shutout of the playoffs, as the 'Hawks turned the tables somewhat on Nashville in what has been a very defensive, low-scoring series.

Series tied, 2-2
Blackhawks 3, Predators 0: Recap | Box Score | Series Page

Patrick Sharp scored a pair of goals in the win to provide the offense, while Jonathan Toews tallied his first goal of the postseason

Entering Game 4, Chicago had been limited to just four goals in the first three games, and just 19 in nine games against the Predators all season; so Thursday's three-goal outburst had to seem like an offensive explosion of sorts.

One of the biggest moments in the game came late in the first period with Nashville trailing, 1-0. Chicago's Dave Bolland was sent off for delay of game just 14 seconds after Tomas Kopecky took a two-minute minor for boarding, giving the Predators an extended 5-on-3. It was a golden opportunity for Nashville to not only tie the game, or perhaps even take the lead with a pair of quick goals, but also score its first power play goal of the series.

Over the first three games the Predators were 0-for-12 on the man advantage, and that streak would continue on Thursday. They not only failed to score on the two-man advantage (David Legwand negated at least one of the penalties with an infraction of his own), but also on the three other opportunities they had throughout the game, pushing the streak to 17 consecutive power plays without a goal.

Still, it's not like Nashville was without its chances. Niemi had to make some difficult saves throughout the night, including this stop midway through the second period on Joel Ward after he picked off an outlet pass.

Just three minutes later he came up big again when he turned aside Steve Sullivan on a breakaway. For the series he's stopped 109 of the 115 shots he's faced.

Goaltending was pretty much the only question mark the Blackhawks had coming into the playoffs, and so far, minus one unfortunate bounce early in the series, Niemi has been the answer they were looking for.