This game didn’t mean much, and the Blackhawks sure played like they knew that.
In another dismal performance against Nashville, the Hawks rolled over Tuesday as the Predators snapped a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory at Gaylord Entertainment Center. Nashville won the season series, 4-1-1.
With the loss, the Hawks returned to the Western Conference basement. At least they know the way.
“Nashville deserved to win,” associate coach Lorne Molleken said. “They outworked us.”
Sebastien Bordeleau’s breakaway shorthanded goal at 10 minutes, 49 seconds of the first period set the tone. Bob Probert and Anders Eriksson got tangled up near the blue line, and Bordeleau grabbed the loose puck to swoop in on Steve Passmore.
Drake Berehowsky made it 2-0 with a slapshot midway through the second period on a five-on-three power play. Brad Brown had piled a roughing penalty on top of Boris Mironov’s hooking minor.
For good measure, David Legwand added an even-strength goal at 15:48 of the second, scoring on a soft backhander following a Mironov turnover.
Blair Atcheynum’s third-period slap shot past Mike Dunham meant little.
It’s a shame: Add Tony Amonte to the list of people who will have a hard time accepting Ray Bourque skating in a uniform other than Boston’s. Amonte, a native of Hingham, Mass., grew up idolizing Bourque and says he remembers the 1987 night when the defenseman handed his No. 7 jersey to Phil Esposito to be retired “as if it were yesterday.”
“It’s going to be really weird, just like it’s hard to see Cheli (Chris Chelios) in another sweater,” Amonte said. “Players like him don’t come along every day.” Amonte has the perfect ending for Bourque, too, an unrestricted free agent after this season.
“He can win the Cup this year and then sign for one more year with Boston in the off-season,” said Amonte, smiling.
Feel the pain: With Marty McSorley facing criminal charges for assault with a weapon after his slash to the head of Vancouver’s Donald Brashear, Probert empathizes with his fellow enforcer while criticizing McSorley’s slash. “Doing something like that has definitely crossed my mind,” Probert said. “Marty just took it to the next level where he acted on it. But Brashear did the old muscleman, flex-your-muscles thing after winning the [first-period] fight. That’s totally uncalled for. I’m not saying he deserved a shot to the head, but there should be some kind of consequence for his actions, too.”
