*Dumont lifts Predators in shootout win over Blackhawks*
CHICAGO (Ticker) -- After beginning the season with two road losses, the Chicago Blackhawks weren't able to turn their fortunes around before a sold-out crowd in the team's home opener.
J.P. Dumont scored in the second round of a shootout to help the Nashville Predators defeat the Blackhawks, 3-2, on Monday.
"We did our homework on (Blackhawks goalie Cristobal Huet) and we know he doesn't like to come out high, so we both faked a shot and got him to open up a bit and we got enough (between the pads) to shoot there," Dumont said.
Rich Peverley also tallied in the shootout, while Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis denied Patrick Kane and Martin Havlat to secure the victory.
"It's nice to be able to contribute and help our team get two points, especially on road against a division team," Peverley said. "They were really up for this game being their home opener."
Prior to the contest, the Blackhawks held a red-carpet event to usher in the regular season at the United Center. Players were swarmed by thousands of fans hoping their team would begin to capitalize on possessing young talent and obtaining several high-profile free agents in the offseason.
The Blackhawks, however, weren't able to live up to the hype on Monday as Ellis turned away 23 shots and handed them their first division loss of the season. Chicago's 19 victories against its division in 2007-08 were the most by any Central opponent.
"A really good two points against an explosive hockey team, it was good to see us battle back from being down," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "We had a game plan and our guys stuck to it."
Scoring remained a problem for the Blackhawks as well.
"The problem is not the offense, it is what we are doing defensively," Havlat said. "Not the defensive guys, but how everyone is playing team defense. That is costing us the games."
The Blackhawks have yet to tally more than two goals in game and Kane, Havlat and Patrick Sharp are the only members of their top six forwards to score. Captain Jonathan Toews, Andrew Ladd and Dustin Byfuglien have been held to one assist each.
"Yes we know there are expectations for this team, but we were not thinking about that tonight," Toews said. "But right now, we are not doing the little things and we are ticked off."
Sharp tied the game at 2-2 just 29 seconds into the second by converting passes from Havlat and defenseman Brent Seabrook and tapped it past Ellis for his first goal of the season.
"It's tough not getting two points, but the effort was there," Chicago coach Denis Savard said. "Much better than we had the first two games and that is a good sign. I think some of our guys played a lot of minutes and were a little tired."
Havlat opened the scoring on a power play 6:24 into the first, tipping in a pass from Kane while sitting on the doorstep. Nashville pulled even off a slap shot from defenseman Shea Weber on the man advantage, and took a one-goal lead when blue-liner Kevin Klein beat Huet on a breakaway with 7:11 left in the session.
Signed to a four-year, $22.4 million contract as a free agent, Huet made 25 saves in his first home game with Chicago.
"We played against (Huet) last year in Montreal and the game went to a shootout," Trotz said. "We think we scout goalies and what they do in the shootout pretty well. We thought there was some tendencies we could exploit."
Nashville center Jason Arnott left in the third period with a hand injury and did not return.
"He jammed his hand on one of our power plays and didn't feel he could hold the stick," Trotz said. "So we took him out and he will be evaluated (Tuesday). He is day-to-day, looks like just a jam, we don't think there is any break."
