NASHVILLE, Tenn. _ The backup plan never was going to change.
So it was only a matter of time _ 3 minutes, 16 seconds, it turned out _ Tuesday before one Forsberg crossed paths with another when the Blackhawks faced the Predators.
Nashville's leading scorer, Filip Forsberg, made good on a rebound that whizzed by backup goalie Anton Forsberg early during the first period of the Blackhawks' 3-2 loss.
Despite a blowout of the Ducks on Monday, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said he never entertained the idea of benching starter Corey Crawford during that game in favor of saving him for the Predators.
"Umm, I don't know if I've ever gone that route in the course of a game," Quenneville said. "I don't know if I think like that. You'd have to ask the goalie."
And so a day after his 25th birthday Forsberg started for the fifth time this season, and first since Nov. 11. It was the sixth time the Predators had faced a backup goalie in 13 games this month. They won their first five.
Chants of "Forsberg, you suck!" _ directed at Anton, per Nashville tradition _ still were fresh in the air inside Bridgestone Arena a shade more than two minutes later when Tommy Wingels made good on a pass from Alex DeBrincat pretty enough to win a beauty pageant to tie the score 1-1.
But the deadlock dissipated early in the second.
His face an angry shade of red, Quenneville issued a challenge after a review deemed a Predators go-ahead goal good 3:48 into the period.
Quenneville wore a blank look moments later when he stood behind the bench and absorbed the news that the puck that ricocheted off Austin Watson's right glove and into the net behind Anton Forsberg would stand.
Just as Watson leaped in front of Anton Forsberg, the puck that met his right glove eluded the Blackhawks goalie for a 2-1 lead 3 minutes, 16 seconds into the second. The score first was reviewed to assure that Watson hadn't committed a high-sticking penalty. Quenneville then contended that Watson had interfered with Forsberg, to no avail.
The scoreboard changed to 3-1 when the Predators' Roman Josi scored a power-play goal for the 11th straight home game 2:32 into the third.
Lance Bouma pulled the Blackhawks within one a little over seven minutes later when he sneaked one past Pekka Rinne for his second goal of the season.
The Blackhawks had a season-best five-game point streak entering Tuesday, and were 4-0-1 during that span.
But Quenneville anticipated a bigger challenge from a team that has won 10 of its last 12 and has not lost at home, where they are 9-1-1, in exactly a month.
"Our starts have been excellent in our first periods of managing the puck, the 'D' being involved in our attack and the speed and the pace of our game ... against some really good teams in some tough buildings," Quenneville said. "That was a great test for us.
"But this will be the best test we have, against this team, knowing we weren't very good against them last year. We expect a tougher one here today."
Quenneville's expectations were met.
And his backup plan didn't work out too badly, either.
Forsberg prematurely retreated to the bench with more than 2:40 left in the game, made his way back to the ice then returned for good with his 28 saves as the Hawks tried to play catchup with a man-advantage.
