Chicago Blackhawks: 5 Considerations for Game 4

The Chicago Blackhawks will face a pretty important opportunity tonight when the puck is dropped for Game 4 of their first-round series with the Nashville Predators: the opportunity to go up three games to one.

The ’Hawks have a pretty impressive statistic running under Joel Quenneville. They have captured their second and third wins of a playoff series in back-to-back games nine times since Quenneville arrived early in the 2009 season. The only playoff campaign they haven’t done that in at least once was the 2012 first-round exit against Phoenix.

2014

St. Louis — Won Games 4 and 5 to go up 3-2

Los Angeles — Won Games 5 and 6 to tie series at 3

2013

Detroit — Won Games 5 and 6 to tie series at 3

Boston — Won Games 4 and 5 to go up 3-2

2011

Vancouver — Won Games 5 and 6 to tie series at 3

2010

Nashville — Won Games 4 and 5 to go up 3-2

Vancouver — Won Games 3 and 4 to go up 3-1

San Jose — Won Games 2 and 3 to go up 3-0

2009

Vancouver — Won Games 4 and 5 to go up 3-2

You might notice the ’Hawks have had their fair share of success in the middle games of their playoff series, and that’s just from looking at the series listed above. So there’s reason to feel good entering Game 4 against the Preds tonight.

Of course, it won’t be a cakewalk. So here are five things the ’Hawks need to consider before Game 4: