The favored Hurricanes roll into Nashville up 3 to 2 and look to close out the first round of the Central division playoffs on the road. Will the Preds and 5700 rabid fans have something to say about that? I doubt it.

Carolina was a powerhouse all year, with Nashville sneaking into the playoffs near the deadline. The Preds showed grit, coming back from 0-2, and winning games 3 and 4 in overtime, but were outclassed in game 5, and only a knuckleball goal for and a Carolina tally called back allowed the game to go to overtime.

Carolina has more firepower, arguably better goaltending in Nedeljkovic, and with the return of healthy Slavin, a strong defensive core. With Capitan Staal and Aho on a mission, look for Carolina to finish the series in six, leaving smashville fans singing the blues until next year.