Which playoff opponent would suit Hawks better: Flames or Preds?

Nashville or Calgary?

With two games left in the regular season, that is about the only question Blackhawks fans should be concerned with because — barring a fairly epic collapse by St. Louis — the Hawks are destined to face one of those teams when the Stanley Cup playoffs begin next week.

So, which team should fans be rooting for? Let's take a closer look:

Nashville, because:

1. The Hawks are already in this team's head, having eliminated them from the postseason in 2015. They are also 10-4-0 against the Predators over the last three regular seasons and won the last four meetings this year.

2. For all the hype behind Pekka Rinne, the bottom line is he is not a very good goaltender. He ranks 17th in the league in save percentage (.917) and goals-against average (2.43). In five playoff appearances, only once has he posted a save percentage above .912. (Corey Crawford, meanwhile, has accomplished that feat in four of his six postseasons).

3. Nashville's close by. Don't underestimate the importance of this fact because as coach Joel Quenneville always says, the first round often seems to be the toughest. The last thing the Hawks need is to make two 1,600-plus-mile trips to Calgary to start what they hope is a run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

Calgary, because:

1. The Flames, who recently won 12 of 13 games, have hit the skids lately, going 3-5-0 in their last eight games.

2. This team has almost no postseason experience. Of the Flames' top 10 scorers, only Kris Versteeg and Michael Frolik can boast more than 19 playoff games on their resume. Top scorers Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Mikael Backlund have 11, with all of them coming two years ago.

3. The Hawks went 2-0-1 vs. Calgary this season, with that loss coming in a shootout.

Not Nashville, because:

There is a ton of talent on this team, as evidenced by the fact that quite a few analysts in the hockey world predicted in October that the Predators would advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

Much of the optimism centered around the fact that an already solid team went out and traded for do-everything D-man P.K. Subban. Nashville, though, got off to a slow start and was just 17-16-7 after losing to the Hawks on Jan. 8. Since then, the Preds are 23-12-5 and — despite a bit of a rough stretch lately — possibly rounding into form at the perfect time.

If coach Peter Laviolette's team were to steal Game 1 or 2 at the United Center, a confident bunch might just have what it takes to pull a shocking first-round upset. Not Calgary, because:

1. Brian Elliott. Calgary's goalie was in net last year when the Blues eliminated the Hawks in seven games, so he knows what to expect from Joel Quenneville's stacked team. Elliott had an awful start, but he's 14-4-0 in his last 18 games, allowing just 2.22 goals per contest.

2. The ex-Hawks factor. Kris Versteeg, Troy Brouwer and Michael Frolik may be able to give their teammates a few pointers on what it takes to hang with one of hockey's best all-around teams.

3. This team has nothing to lose. In an article dated Oct. 11, 2016, only four out of 20 NHL.com experts predicted the Flames to reach the postseason. Yours truly had them finishing fifth in the Pacific Division. Squads like this either get run over, or they put up one heck of a fight. If they get an early taste of victory, look out.

My take:

From a matchup standpoint, it's not going to matter. The Hawks should dispose of either opponent in five or six games.

I'll say fans should root for the Hawks to play Nashville for the simple reason that the travel will be easier and it will keep everyone fresher for the second round.

• Follow John on Twitter @johndietzdh