The Chicago Blackhawks had a difficult road with injuries this season and spent long periods looking like a team that would not be a strong Stanley Cup contender. The team entered the final 10 games of the season with a chance to win the Central Division but fell far short with a 4-6-0 run to wrap up the campaign.
The Nashville Predators had a terrific season under new coach Peter Laviolette and are back to the levels they reached four or five years ago. One concern for Predators fans comes from their final week, in which they lost all three games. The two teams have met in the playoffs once before, with Chicago winning in the conference quarterfinal in 2010.
One area that could be key in this series is experience. The Blackhawks are led by a core group that has enjoyed tremendous success together, including two Stanley Cup victories since 2010. The group is aging, but key players like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Niklas Hjalmarsson are under 30 years old. The Predators have several veterans but are less experienced in the playoffs.
What are the big stories and challenges for Chicago and Nashville? Who will be the impact players? Where are the areas of weakness? Let's have a look at these two teams as we approach Game 1.
from Bleacher Report http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Bleacherreport/~3/UtqHQdOO9ow/2428356-blackhawks-vs-predators-preview-and-prediction-for-2015-nhl-playoffs-matchup
via IFTTT April 12, 2015 at 03:13PM
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