Brent Seabrook to tell it like it is after the Hawks find themselves 0–3 against the Preds.

Brent Seabrook to tell it like it is after the Hawks find themselves 0–3 against the Preds.

Who saw this coming? The Chicago Blackhawks, perennial Stanley Cup favorites, are on the verge of being swept 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs. It’s a stunning turn of events for a team that was expected to not only get past their first round opponent, the Nashville Predators, but make a lengthy run in the NHL’s Western Conference

When asked how they got themselves into their current situation, most of the players were lost for words. Leave it up to veteran Brent Seabrook to tell it like it is though:

The Hawks may be able to get back on the horse for game 4, but they’ll need to ride that horse to four straight victories if they’re going to salvage their season. Fellow veteran blue liner Duncan Keith echoed Seabrook’s optimism however, saying, "We know what we can do. It’s just a matter of going and doing it and being confident about it."

Unfortunately, the odds don’t look so great for the Hawks. They’ve been outmatched and outplayed in nearly every aspect for its three games against Nashville. The Preds combo of Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson, affectionately known as the JOFA line in Nashville, has been particularly difficult for the Hawks to contain.

Johansen has victimized the Hawks for 5 points, Forsberg for 4 and Arvidsson for 2. The trio is also a combined +15 against the Hawks so far in the series. If the Hawks have so much as a prayer in this series, they’ll need to erase the JOFA line from the scoresheet the rest of the way.