10 Observations: Blackhawks fall into third place straight to Predators after another slow start

4. Filip Forsberg is a special player. He scored three goals in this game, and the first goal was his 44th of the season, which set a new season record in Predators history. He extended that record by adding a few more in his 45th and 46th place finishes of the campaign. Matt Duchene previously held the franchise record with 43 in 2021-22.

5. Ethan Del Mastro was recalled and made his NHL debut. He said the call-up “caught him off guard” because Rockford is preparing for a run in the Calder Cup playoffs. He has taken a big step forward every year since being drafted by Chicago in the fourth round of 2021, and his first pro season in Rockford was a success – and it’s not over yet. The recall was well deserved. I thought he looked pretty stable in this game. His game should translate well to the NHL.

Del Mastro said he was a little nervous for his rookie solo run, but he passed the test because he didn’t fall and didn’t forget his discs. His family was present and recorded the return:

6. Connor Murphy returned to the lineup after missing the last 35 games with a groin strain. It didn’t take long for him to shake off the rust. There was a play late in the second period where he swung like Connor McDavid and made a beautiful backhand pass to Tyler Johnson, but former Blackhawks goaltender Kevin Lankinen made the save.

7. Remember Anthony Beauvillier? He has struggled to carve out a consistent role for the Predators with just two points (one goal, one assist) in 13 games. He looked pretty good in this game, but he has done well a few times and is averaging 12:13 of ice time. Beauvillier has been a historically good player in the playoffs, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he scores a big goal or two for Nashville in the postseason.

8. As of February 17, only Carolina has more points than the Predators (41), who are 19-4-3 with a +35 goal differential in that span. They were defeated by Dallas 9-2 in the game before the streak and GM Barry Trotz canceled the team’s planned trip to Las Vegas, which was supposed to include a U2 show at The Sphere. I think Nashville can make a deep playoff run.

9. Frank Nazar and Ryan Greene had their college seasons ended on Thursday after the universities of Michigan and Boston were eliminated in the Frozen Four semifinals. We’re keeping an eye out to see if they sign their initial contracts in the coming days.

10. Sunday against Carolina is the final home game of the season for the Blackhawks. Get your tickets now. Last chance to see Bedard in a meaningful game until October.

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