Shaw helps Blackhawks beat Predators 3-2 for 8th straight

The victory gave Joel Quenneville his 782nd victory, tying him with the late Al Arbour for second on the all-time coaching victories list.

This story will be updated. Nashville made it a one-goal game with 36.3 seconds left in the third on a power-play goal by Filip Forsberg, and the Predators had a chance to tie it when Ryan Johansen was left alone in prime scoring position and got off a hard wrist shot with four seconds left.

Quenneville also coached the Blues and Colorado Avalanche before taking over in Chicago just four games into the 2008-09 season, replacing Denis Savard after the Hall of Famer was cut loose by former general manager Dale Tallon in a controversial move.

The surging Chicago Blackhawks continued to roll Tuesday with a 3-2 victory versus the Nashville Predators at the United Center.

Quenneville reached the milestone the same day he was given a three-year contract extension through the 2019-2020 season. Quenneville, 57, has won three Stanley Cup championships in seven-plus seasons with the Blackhawks….

“We’ve got a great situation going here”, Bowman said. “I think our team is very well-rounded right now”.

Locking up Quenneville is another box the Hawks have checked off to ensure they will be among the league’s top teams for the next few seasons. “But we did some good things to get the lead”, Quenneville said. He played maybe 800 or so games in the National Hockey League and he’s been around a long time as a coach.

Quenneville’s playing career, spent mostly in Hartford, directly influences how he treats his players today. Even though the team has had the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa during Quenneville’s tenure, Coach Q’s job is more than worthy of note. “It doesn’t ever seem he’s up for the coach of the year award, and we all feel in here that he can be there every year”.

The Pittsburgh Penguins were trying to forget about their recent slide and coaching change and a 3-1 win Saturday at the Bell Centre versus the Montreal Canadiens was another step in the right direction.

Hossa, who turned 37 on Tuesday, threw his own rebound out front and Shaw sent it into a wide-open net for a 2-0 lead at 6:14.

Nashville’s leading goal scorer, James Neal, has not had a point (goal or assist) in a season-high six straight games.

“I’d say it’s a stretch stretch”, a chuckling Quenneville said when asked about catching Bowman.