Coach Q. may field desperate lineup tonight.

The Chicago Blackhawks are in desperate times, and desperate times call for desperate measures. Maybe that’s why head coach Joel Quenneville is considering seven defensemen for tonight’s elimination game against the Nashville Predators.

Down 3-0 to the Preds and facing an early post-season exit for the second consecutive season, it looks like Quenneville is willing to pull out all the stops. The reasoning for the decision, if in fact Quenneville’s goes ahead with it, is that because his team’s forward lines have been so underwhelming, the coach may as well strengthen his defense. It’s a indictment of just how truly awful the Hawks forwards have been so far in the series. 

If the Hawks go with seven defenders it’s expected that 26 year-old Michal Kempny will draw into the lineup and see his first career NHL playoff game. When asked about the possibility of playing, Kempny replied, ”If I would play, I would be very glad, and I would do my best, put 100 percent into the game.”

He added that it hasn’t been much fun watching his team lose while sitting on the side, saying, ”It's not a good feeling especially when you see your team losing, but I believe it's going to change today.” Blackhawks fans certainly hope so as well, Michal.