Dec. 07--The summary
Marian Hossa scored twice and Brandon Saad had a goal and an assist Saturday night as the Blackhawks topped the Predators 3-1 at Bridgestone Arena. Scott Darling was strong in goal as the Hawks prevailed for the second night in a row to extend their winning streak to six. Colin Wilson scored for the Predators, but it wasn't enough as Pekka Rinne suffered the loss in goal.
Key moment
Hossa scored just his second goal in the last 16 games when he took a feed from Saad and, with Rinne out of position, fired the puck into the open net for the game-winner early in the second.
Tribune's three stars
1. Saad: The puck followed the winger all game long and he cashed in.
2. Darling: In fourth NHL start, was calm and in control in a hostile environment.
3. Hossa: Broke out of scoring slump at the right time to help lift the Hawks.
The quote
"The guys did a great job. A lot of the shots were from the perimeter and they let me see them. They cleared out all the rebounds and that's what goalies love." -- Darling, who made 32 saves to improve to 3-1-0 on the season
First look
Defenseman Klas Dahlbeck made his NHL debut for the Hawks and finished with one block in 12 minutes, 24 seconds of ice time. "I liked him," coach Joel Quenneville said. "He has some motion, he has some size, some movement to his game, he has a long stick and he defends with a purpose. It was a good start for him."
Coming soon
Quenneville said winger Patrick Sharp likely will return when the Hawks face the Devils on Tuesday night in New Jersey. Sharp missed his 14th consecutive game for the Hawks on Saturday with a right knee injury suffered Nov. 4 against the Canadiens. The veteran traveled with the Hawks and skated Saturday morning. Quenneville said there's "a good chance (Sharp) is going to play on that trip and likely ... the first game."
Up next
At Devils, 6 p.m. Tuesday.
