NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For only the second time in 15 games this season, the Blackhawks had more five-on-five shots on goal than they allowed Saturday (27-23).
But that still didn’t translate into a victory, and nobody could reasonably argue the Predators’ 4-2 win was undeserved.
After all, the Predators finished with a 22-18 advantage in scoring chances during five-on-five play, according to Natural Stat Trick, and had the more dangerous power play.
The Predators built a 2-0 lead after the first period, then fended off some Hawks pushbacks in the second and third before adding a late empty-net goal to seal the victory.
For the Hawks, who dropped their third game in a row to fall to 5-10-0, this season (like last season) is about more than just the final scores because the scores are usually not going to end up in their favor.
So they can be disappointed about the result but encouraged by their step forward in terms of balance of play. Yes, they still rank second-to-last in the NHL with a minus-90 differential in five-on-five shots on goal, but at least it’s better than minus-94.
‘‘We were in the game,’’ forward Taylor Hall said. ‘‘Every line created chances in their own way. Sometimes you’re going to lose nights like that, but for the most part we battled and made plays.’’
Coach Luke Richardson was pleased with the Hawks’ improvement, too, but he thought they could’ve used even more of a shoot-first mentality, particularly on choppy ice late in the periods.
Tyler Johnson exemplified that on his strike with 7:45 left in regulation. He found a hole through a screen by Corey Perry to pull the Hawks to 3-2. Hall and Taylor Raddysh, however, exemplified the opposite during a two-on-one rush in the first period on which they both could have been more decisive.
‘‘If you see something [to shoot at], your first instinct is usually right,’’ Richardson said. ‘‘It was a first step in the right direction, but we’ve got to make sure we’re hungry for more.’’
As the Hawks make more of a routine of getting shots on net, they also will need to get better at fighting for and retrieving — or banging in — rebounds.
The Predators’ second and third goals involved them jamming in rebounds around goalie Arvid Soderblom’s crease. But when Predators goalie Kevin Lankinen spit out a few rebounds of his own in the third period, the Hawks weren’t present to make him pay.
There will be time to learn those lessons, given that learning is the objective this season. And it should help that most of the Hawks’ upcoming opponents will look a lot more like the Predators than the Lightning — who limited the Hawks to only eight shots on goal during five-on-five play Thursday — and the gauntlet of contenders they have faced until now.
Veteran forward Nick Foligno analyzed that dynamic Friday — while looking ahead to Saturday — and his message will apply during the next few weeks.
‘‘We’re never, ever satisfied with losing,’’ Foligno said. ‘‘But you can take some things away from [these losses, like], ‘OK, we did that well,’ or, ‘Oh, that’s why we lost to that team. It’s not because of something they did; it’s because of something we did.’
‘‘When you have that kind of [learning-focused] mentality, it allows you to overcome some of the adversity. Hopefully we can put it into our next game and be ready for a team that’s lower in the standings. But no team we’re going to face this year we’re going to have an easy night with. We haven’t earned the respect of anyone. That’s the mindset we need to have each and every night.’’
