Carolina Hurricanes (36-12-8, first in the Central Division during the regular season) vs. Nashville Predators (31-23-2, fourth in the Central Division during the regular season)
Nashville, Tennessee; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Predators +113, Hurricanes -136; over/under is 5.5
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND: Hurricanes lead series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes visit the Nashville Predators in the first round of the NHL Playoffs with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Sunday for the 12th time this season. The Predators won the previous meeting 5-4 in overtime.
The Predators are 31-23-2 against the rest of their division. Nashville averages 9.2 penalty minutes per game, the eighth-most in the league. Mathieu Olivier leads the team serving 70 total minutes.
The Hurricanes are 36-12-8 against division opponents. Carolina is eighth in the league averaging 5.5 assists per game, led by Sebastian Aho with 0.6.
TOP PERFORMERS: Mattias Ekholm leads the Predators with a plus-19 in 48 games this season. Erik Haula has four goals and three assists over the last 10 games for Nashville.
Aho has 57 total points while scoring 24 goals and totaling 33 assists for the Hurricanes. Teuvo Teravainen has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games for Carolina.
LAST 10 GAMES: Predators: 6-4-0, averaging three goals , five assists, four penalties and 9.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game with a .932 save percentage.
Hurricanes: 6-2-2, averaging three goals , 4.4 assists, 4.3 penalties and 9.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game with a .920 save percentage.
INJURIES: Predators: Viktor Arvidsson: day to day (upper body).
Hurricanes: Jaccob Slavin: day to day (lower body).
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