PREDS FACE MUST-WIN IN GAME 6
Nashville Predators
PLAYOFF QUICK HITS
This is Nashville’s third Game Six, it was shutout by Detroit in its previous two (2-0 in 2004 and 3-0 in 2008)… Nashville has outscored Chicago 7-2 in the third period, and outshot the Blackhawks by a 56-35 margin in the final frame… The Predators have the fewest man games of NHL playoff experience of anyone in this year’s postseason (491)… Dan Hamhuis is the only player to dress for all 27 of the club’s playoff games… Nashville is averaging 8.0 penalty minutes per game in the playoffs, second-lowest to San Jose… Nashville is outhitting Chicago 158-117. It is averaging 31.6 hits per game in the playoffs after doling out 17 per game during the regular season…
Shea Weber is ranked among the defensive leaders in hits (17). He’s also among the playoffs’ Top 20 in average ice time, in addition to leading the team (24:34)… Both
Marcel Goc and
Joel Ward are among the playoffs’ Top 12 forwards in shot blocking…
David Legwand’s plus-five rating ranks among the League leaders…
Jerred Smithson is among the League’s Top 10 in face-off efficiency (59.4 percent)… Legwand,
Martin Erat, J.P. Dumont and Ward have each registered points in the three games in which Nashville has scored… Predators coach Barry Trotz is the only coach to lead his team to the postseason in five of the past six seasons. Out of the other seven teams to make the playoffs in five of the last six campaigns (CGY, DET, MTL, N.J, OTT, PHI, S.J), there have been a combined 25 coaches.
LEGWAND NOTCHES THIRD MULTI-POINT GAME
Nashville forward
David Legwand scored the first goal of Game Five on Saturday at the United Center, in addition to assisting on
Joel Ward’s second-period shorthanded goal for his third multi-point performance of the series – he posted his first career postseason multi-point/assist outing in the series’ opening game, then became the second player in franchise history to post three-or-more points in a playoff contest in Game Three (1g-2a). His seven points (2g-5a) and five assists in five games are tied with Paul Kariya’s outputs from the 2006 playoffs for the most in a playoff round. The first draft pick in franchise history (second overall in 1998) entered the 2010 postseason having played in 19 of the franchise’s first 22 playoff games, posting six points (2g-4a). His 13 playoff points (4g-9a) now rank first on the club’s all-time list.
ERAT POTS A PAIR
Martin Erat became just the second player in franchise history to notch multiple goals in a single playoff period when he struck at the 1:34 and 10:39 marks of the second period, joining J.P. Dumont, who has done it twice (once in Game One of this series, in addition to Game Two of Nashville’s 2007 series with San Jose). The pair of goals doubled his output for the series, and gave him six career postseason goals, tying him with Dumont atop both the goals in a playoff series list, and the franchise’s all-time list. All four of Erat’s goals this series have come in the third period, including his penalty-shot goal in Game Three, the 19th successful attempt on the 59th penalty shot in Stanley Cup Playoff history.