Stanley Cup Final Preview: Everything you need to know about Pens vs. Preds

It's here.

The Stanley Cup Final kicks off Monday at 8 p.m. ET, and at first glance, it might look like a bit of a mismatch. The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the postseason as the reigning champs with the second-best record during the regular season.

Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators scored a wild-card berth and proved that once the playoffs begin, the successes and failures of the regular season are left behind.

Related: Pittsburgh opens as heavy favorite over Nashville

With both teams having proven to be worthy finalists, this series should be everything fans could possibly ask for.

Here is what you need to know ahead of Game 1:

How they got here

Penguins

Pittsburgh's climb back to the final saw it square off against three familiar playoff foes.

The Penguins made quick work of the inspired Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round, dispatching them in just five games. In Round 2, they met the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals, a series deemed by many to represent the unofficial Stanley Cup Final.

After a back-and-forth series, the Penguins prevailed in Game 7, pushing their record to 3-0 against the Capitals in their last three playoff meetings.

Finally, there was the Ottawa Senators - or the boring Sens as some called them. Ottawa didn't make life easy on the Penguins, taking 1-0 and 2-1 series advantages. However, on the back of Chris Kunitz, Pittsburgh won its second Game 7 of the playoffs, needing double overtime to improve to 4-1 in postseason series against the Senators since 2007.

Predators

The Predators appeared to be doomed before the playoffs even began, with the team pitted against the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks in Round 1.

However, Nashville stunned arguably the hottest team of the past decade, sweeping Chicago in four games while allowing just three goals against.

Next up was the St. Louis Blues, which despite playing Nashville to four one-goal affairs, just couldn't crack the Predators' defense. It took six games, but Nashville bested the Blues to advance to the third round for the first time in franchise history.

Finally, the Predators had to claw their way past the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks became the first team to score more than three goals against the Predators this postseason when they tallied five in Game 2.

After losing Ryan Johansen to a surprise injury prior to Game 5, things didn't look good for the Predators, but they played inspired hockey in outscoring Anaheim 9-4 over Games 5 and 6 to punch their ticket to their first Stanley Cup Final.

Toe-to-toe

The series marks a clash between an offensive juggernaut and arguably the strongest defense corps in the NHL.

While the Penguins might have the more potent offense, the Predators have done a great job of smothering the opposition through three rounds.

Nashville also heads into the final having not trailed in a series at any time during the playoffs.

Season series

The two-game season series was somewhat of a wash. Each team earned a victory, with Matt Murray getting the edge over Pekka Rinne in Game 2 of the series - a 4-2 Penguins win.

Looking back to the regular season, it's hard to give one team an edge over the other.

Injuries

Penguins

For the Penguins, the lack of Kris Letang continues to sting, but his absence is something that the club has learned to play through over the years. Patric Hornqvist's return to the lineup would certainly be welcomed.

Predators

It's no secret that the omission of Johansen is devastating for the Predators. The team got by without him for the final two games against the Ducks, but his 13 points in 14 games will be missed.

On the other hand, while Mike Fisher also missed the team's last two contests, he has begun skating with the team and a return in the final appears likely.

Positional advantages

Forwards

Advantage: Pittsburgh

This shouldn't come as a surprise, as a forward contingent including the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel is likely to challenge most in the league.

The Penguins are the only team averaging more than three goals per game in the playoffs. Given that no defenseman on the team has more goals than Justin Schultz's three, it's pretty clear that Pittsburgh's forwards are doing the bulk of the scoring.

Defense

Advantage: Predators

Defense, however, is a completely different story. The Penguins' defense corps doesn't come close to that of the Predators. In fact, four of the Predators' top eight point producers in the playoffs have been defensemen.

Related: 3 stats that show how good Ryan Ellis has been this postseason

The quartet of Ryan Ellis, Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, and Mattias Ekholm sits second, third, fifth, and eighth, respectively, in playoff scoring among defensemen.

Going head-to-head, the Predators have the overwhelming advantage. The Penguins' entire defense corps has tallied just eight goals, while Ellis and Josi alone have nine between them.

Goaltending

Advantage: Tie

With all the talk that Rinne is likely the Predators' pick for the Conn Smythe Trophy, you would think that Nashville would have the clear advantage between the pipes, but that's not necessarily the case.

Ever since Murray stole the net back from Marc-Andre Fleury in Game 3 against the Senators, the rookie netminder - yes, he's still considered a rookie - has been lights-out.

Related: Penguins' Murray could win 2 Stanley Cups as a rookie

He's given up just seven goals on 130 shots - good enough for a .946 save percentage - while averaging just 1.35 goals against per game, marks that are actually better than Rinne's .941 and 1.70 - albeit in a much smaller sample size.

Both goalies have been incredible, and heading in, it's hard to take one over the other. With each club earning a distinct advantage in the positions mentioned above, it's quite clear that the series could come down to which goaltender can outduel the other.

What's on the line

Heading into the final, it is safe to presume that the Predators have more to prove than the Penguins.

After numerous solid regular seasons, the Predators were finally able to crack the second-round barrier that had proven to be an overwhelming task in the past.

For a franchise that is just now starting to get the recognition it deserves - thanks in large part to a deeply loyal fan base - a Stanley Cup would mean the world.

A win would put Peter Laviolette into the discussion of the NHL's top coaches. Despite a Cup to his name and a winning pedigree, he never seems to be mentioned in the same conversation as the Joel Quennevilles and Mike Babcocks of the league.

Then there is Subban. A Stanley Cup would be the ultimate prize for a player unfairly maligned in Montreal. Some may have questioned whether a team can win with him and his personality. This would finally put those conversations to rest.

Pittsburgh captured the Cup last season with a roster nearly identical to its current makeup and is a well-established contender. The team is largely playing for history, attempting to be the first club to win back-to-back Cups since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.

Schedule

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)