Finally, the Stanley Cup playoffs are upon us, and the first-round matchups in the Western Conference are incredibly tight. There is a distinct theme of veteran teams taking another swing at the Stanley Cup, with up-and-coming powers looking to make noise.
Let's take a detailed look at each matchup -- including a key strength and weakness of each team -- and make a call on how each series will be decided.
Chicago Blackhawks (109 pts) vs. Nashville Predators (94 pts)
Head-to-head: Blackhawks won the season series, 4-1, outscoring the Predators 20-13 overall.
Nashville strength: 51.4 Corsi for percentage (No. 2 in the West)
Nashville weakness: Pekka Rinne .907 save percentage in his past 20 playoff games