Chicago Blackhawks or Nashville Predators - Who has the edge?

Welcome, everyone, to the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs.

For the Blackhawks and their fans, the postseason arrives with great optimism. Great expectations. And great belief that this squad has what it takes to claim the franchise's fourth title this decade.

The Hawks are loaded with high-end talent and a deeper forward group than most expected when the season began. The back end might be the best in the NHL. And Corey Crawford is one of the top postseason goalies we've seen over the 10 years.

On top of all of that, Artem Anisimov is expected to return from a leg injury for Game 1 (Thursday, 7 p.m.) of their opening-round series against the Nashville Predators at the United Center.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, though, let's remember that a lot of crazy things happen at this time of year. Looking past the Predators, who eliminated the second-best team in the West in Anaheim last season, would certainly be a massive mistake. The Preds - even though they imploded Saturday night when Winnipeg won on a short-handed goal with 45 seconds left - have been playing solid hockey of late.

"They're playing fast, they're getting offense, they're tightening up defensively, they're getting solid goaltending," said Adam Vingan, who covers the team for the Nashville Tennessean, to WGN Radio. "All of the things you need to create that successful Stanley Cup recipe. A lot of times teams will talk about wanting to play their best down the stretch. For the most part, the Predators have accomplished that."

But can they pull off another first-round shocker? Let's find out by seeing who has the edge in five critical categories.

Forwards:

In Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson, Nashville boasts a pair of 30-goal scorers. That kind of production was expected out of Forsberg, but few saw that coming from Arvidsson, who scored eight times in 56 games the year before.

"He hasn't met a shot attempt that he doesn't like," Vigan said. "In the '14-15 season, he led the American Hockey League in shots on goal, and he leads the Predators in that category this season.

"He's just a fiercely determined player. He may spend more time during the game on his backside than he does on his skates, but that's because he's going towards the net without any type of patience. … He's the epitome of a scrappy underdog, and he's become a fan favorite in Nashville because of it."

Veterans James Neal (23 goals) and Mike Fisher (18) are also big parts of the offense, as is 24-year-old Ryan Johansen, who led the Predators with 47 assists.

The Hawks, of course, counter with seven players who racked up 19 or more goals, two of which were named to the top 100 players of all-time in January. There may not be a more dangerous top nine in the NHL than a group includes Patrick Kane, Artemi Panarin, Artem Anisimov, Jonathan Toews, Richard Panik, Marian Hossa and Ryan Hartman.

Edge: Blackhawks

Defense/goaltending:

When Nashville shipped Shea Weber to Montreal in exchange for P.K. Subban last off-season, it led many to conclude that the Predators were the team to beat in the Western Conference. Subban, though, was injured during the preseason and suffered another injury in December that cost him 16 games.

The result was an uneven season for Subban and the Predators, but there's no doubt that this team's strength lies in its defensive corps. Ryan Ellis (16), Roman Josi (12) and Weber (10) are all on the short list of 29 D-men who hit double digits in goals this season.

The Hawks come prepared with a group that isn't as prolific in the scoring department, but own a mind-boggling 581 combined games of playoff experience. Through the years, they've shown an uncanny ability to shut down their opponent when protecting a lead, while at the same time knowing how to push the pace when the Hawks are behind. It's a group no team wants to go up against.

Corey Crawford, meanwhile, is far superior to Pekka Rinne when it comes to being a clutch, playoff-tested goaltender. The proof is in the numbers. Crawford is 48-33 with a .920 save percentage in the postseason, while Rinne sports a mediocre-at-best 22-26 record with a .912 save percentage.

Edge: Blackhawks

Special teams:

After the Hawks' atrocious start on the penalty kill - when they allowed 14 PP goals in the first seven games - they killed off 82.2 percent of opponents' power plays the rest of the way. That's good for 11th since Oct. 27, just a smidge below Nashville, which sits in 10th since that date. Most important, though, is the fact that the Hawks gave up the second-fewest power plays (211) in the league.

Neither team was outstanding on the power play, with the Hawks converting on 18 percent of their chances and the Predators on 18.9 percent.

Edge: Even

Coaching:

Peter Laviolette has led the Predators to the postseason in each of his three seasons with the team, and he won a Stanley Cup in Carolina in 2006. He also led the seventh-seeded Flyers to the Cup Final in 2010, but Philly fell to the Blackhawks in six games.

So Laviolette is certainly no slouch behind the bench. But he's also not Joel Quenneville, who has won 851 regular-season, 118 postseason games and three Stanley Cups.

Edge: Blackhawks

Intangibles:

The Predators want desperately to live up to preseason expectations and to prove they can vanquish the big, bad Blackhawks. Meanwhile, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Co., want desperately to build on an already impressive legacy. Anything less than another Cup will be a massive disappointment.

Edge: Blackhawks

Prediction:

No top seed in either conference has bowed out since the Kings upset the Canucks in 2012 and went on to win the Stanley Cup. It's conceivable that Nashville could catch fire, but the Hawks have too much talent, depth and experience for this Predators squad.

Hawks in 5.

First round playoff schedule

Game 1: Predators at Blackhawks, Thursday, 7 p.m., CSN

Game 2: Predators at Blackhawks, Saturday, 7 p.m., NBC

Game 3: Blackhawks at Predators, Monday, 8:30 p.m., CSN

Game 4: Blackhawks at Predators, Thursday, April 20, TBD

*Game 5: Predators at Blackhawks, Saturday, April 22, TBD

*Game 6: Blackhawks at Predators, Monday, April 24, TBD

*Game 7: Predators at Blackhawks, Wednesday, April 26, TBD

* if necessary