WELCOME TO THE BIG-TIME

A one-sided playoff walloping of rival Chicago proved to be a franchise turning point for the Preds

iwhen 2th0e17Prpeldaaytofrfs owpiethneadwthine T WAS ONE THING ienlseChailctoageot.hIetr wahsensotmheything dominated the Blackhawks 5-0 innotGoanmlye fu2e. leTdhatht epire rfuonrmtoanthce itthechtaynpgeeodf tehaemir tpheeryCceuptifoinaol,f were and where they fit in the NHL hierarchy.

For years, Chicago had been aThberifdrgaencthoiosefsarhfaodr mthet Ptrweidcse. ain dth2e0f1ir5st–roaunndd b–otihn t2im01e0s Chicago won in six games. In p20oi1n7t,s tahheeaHdawofksthefinPisrhededato1r5s finivethreegsutalanrd-isnegass,own omn aftocuhruposf and scored five times in three of those contests. NaAsh1v-i0lleviactnoreydgine Gbaumt ed1idganvoet tailotenr otfhethfeunmd amtcehnutpa,l epveerncepinthe Preds’ dressing room. The Blackhawks limited Nashville tpoer2f0orsmhaontsc,eaindnePtewkkaas tRhiennper’ismaGraymr ea2sownafsora tdhieffeoruetncot mstoe.ry. Trehfelefcitnioalnscoofrea wgams aenianccwuhraicthe dNeatsehrvmililneedlooaknedd mfaosrter,skmilloerde. Ryan Ellis opened the scoring early in the first period, and the Preds never looked back. They ofourstehde fCirhsitcasgwoeeinp ifnoufrangacmhisees sheisrtioesryinatnhde fdiridstnt’thrteraeirloiunnadnsy.

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