Blackhawks' Corey Crawford back in net; Preds lose key player

NASHVILLE - The Chicago Blackhawks' announcement that goalie Corey Crawford will be playing in Game 2 is not as important as the news that Nashville Predators center Mike Fisher might not be playing.

Fisher is day-to-day with a lower body injury, and his absence would be a major blow for a Predators team trailing 1-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal that resumes Friday.

"Mike fills a lot of roles for us," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "He's a big part of our team. He's a leader on and off the ice. He plays in every situation you can think of."

In Game 1, Matt Cullen moved back from wing to center to fill Fisher's spot after his injury.

"I thought Matt played an excellent game and continued to produce on that line and make that line," Laviolette said. "He hasn't played a lot of center this year because we have been steadfast with our four guys down the middle. He is a natural centerman. He jumped in and faceoff-wise he was good. He was good offensively."

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As sharp as Cullen was, he can't replace Fisher, who traditionally has been a valuable playoff performer because he is comfortable in a match-up role.

The Predators need all of their best defensive forwards against a Chicago team deep enough to have Patrick Sharp on the third line.

Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said he hasn't made his final decision about his Game 2 lineup but wasn't likely to make changes. That would mean Antoine Vermette, acquired Feb. 28 to help Chicago in the playoffs, will be a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game.

Quenneville said it was an easy decision to reinsert Crawford after pulling him after one period in Game 1. Crawford has 32 career playoff wins and a Stanley Cup ring to counteract 20 subpar minutes in the opener. Although Scott Darling played brilliantly, Crawford's resume of consistency made the decision a "no-brainer," Quenneville said.

The Predators weren't surprised by the Crawford news.

"That's their top goalie," said Predators center Mike Ribeiro. "Any team would do that."

The Blackhawks, with two championships since 2010, are the most playoff-hardened team in this series, and their playoff experience had to help them rally from three goals back in Game 1.

"We've been in tough spots ... down 3-1 in series, and I don't think we change our approach," Quenneville said. "Consistency is one of our strengths.. ... The guys say the right things in the room."

They came out hard in the second period and chipped away at the lead. That's where their experience paid off.

"Obviously they are a great team," Ribeiro said. "You can't take a breather against them here or there or they make you pay. So we have to play a full 60 minutes."

The Predators produced a significant number of quality scoring chances against Chicago, and put plenty of pressure on the Blackhawks. They played a strong physical game.

The message from Nashville's players is they have to dictate how the game is played. They did that quite effectively in the first 20 minutes of the series.

"We have to still focus on us and what we did well," Ribeiro said.

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