Nashville Predators begin Stanley Cup playoff chase

The Nashville Predators surged past preseason expectations and reached the Stanley Cup playoffs, where they'll meet the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, beginning with Game 1 at 9pm Sunday.

Why it matters: This was supposed to be a retooling season under new general manager Barry Trotz and coach Andrew Brunette.

• Instead the Predators went on a torrid streak of 18 consecutive games without a regulation loss to qualify for the playoffs.

State of play: Nashville is back in the playoffs after missing the postseason last year for the first time since 2014.

Yes, but: The reward for the somewhat surprising accomplishment is a daunting series against the Canucks, who won all three regular season matchups against the Predators.

• Vancouver has the home-ice advantage for the best-of-seven series.