Why you have to watch: The Blackhawks under GM Stan Bowman have once again retooled on the fly to hit the playoffs as the Western Conference's best team. Seven rookies combined for 105 points for Chicago this season. Coming off an emotional seven-game, first-round loss to the St. Louis Blues last spring, the Blackhawks bounced back with 109 points, their second-highest point total ever. ... The Predators, meanwhile, are playoff bound for the third straight season, but they've never been past the second round. ... This spring marks the first playoff appearance without former captain Shea Weber since Weber came into the league in 2005-06.
First-round preview: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators
