The Nashville Predators will take on Central Division rival Chicago Blackhawks in a first ever playoff meeting between the two teams. The series begins Friday night at the United Center. During the regular season, the Blackhawks were victorious in four of the six contests with the Predators.
If one were to view this matchup on paper, the advantage would go to the Hawks. This series will not be played on paper, but will be a war waged on the ice between two familiar rivals.
So how do the two teams compare?
We will look at goaltending, defensive corp, offensive firepower, coaching, and intangibles.
GOALTENDING
Pekka Rinne against Antii Niemi, a battle of two Finnish countrymen, both getting their first taste of playoff experience. This matchup of two goalies that zero playoff experience will be interesting to see how each handles the pressure of the playoff race.
Both goalies came on strong at the mid-point of the season to claim their respective team's starting job in net. Here is how they stack up statistically:
Pekka Rinne 32-16-5&n ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Willoughby
2010 NHL Playoff: Predators and Blackhawks, First Round Preview
April 13th, 2010 by Mark Willoughby Leave a reply »
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