Troubling start to series

Of course, one game does not make a series, but there were some troubling aspects to the Blackhawks’ 4-1 loss to Nashville in Game 1 on Friday. Antti Niemi let in a bad goal, a crusher as it turned out, early in the third period with the Hawks leading 1-0. J.P. Dumont’s soft toss at the net from past the right faceoff circle bounced past Niemi, changing the momentum of the game. Wasn’t this every Hawks fans’s nightmare, a bad goal costing a game? Only the goalie wasn't Cristobal Huet. The Hawks might have won 1-0 if not for Niemi's bad goal. Nashville sat back on defense and the frustrated Hawks didn’t work hard enough for scoring chances. They were outshot 13-4 in the third period. The Hawks allowed way too many odd-man rushes. They were 0-for-2 on the power play and turned the puck over in some bad spots, the worst being Troy Brouwer’s giveaway near the 10-minute mark in the third period that led to Dumont’s second goal that snapped a 1-1 tie with 9:23 to play. Another clunker in Game 2 on Sunday and you can consider the Hawks to be in big trouble.