NASHVILLE, TN -- Pekka Rinne fills up so much of the net at 6-foot-5, and the Nashville goaltender led the NHL with 43 wins while facing more shots than anyone else.
Jimmy Howard was on quite the run for Detroit himself, leading the league in wins and on pace to top Terry Sawchuk's franchise record of 44 victories himself before breaking his index finger and then injuring his groin.
Nashville already has home-ice advantage in this first-round series starting Wednesday night, and the Predators also feel they have the edge in net thanks to Rinne.
They will need Rinne at his best if they are to beat their Central Division foe for the first time in three postseason tries.
Detroit coach Mike Babcock says Howard is going to have to outplay Rinne.
The Detroit Red Wings have won an NHL-high 31 games at home this season, including a record 23 straight.
That's not going to help them when their first-round series starts Wednesday night at Nashville.
The fourth-seeded Predators with home-ice advantage are favored to advance against the fifth-seeded Red Wings. Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom says the team he leads should be the underdog.
The Red Wings were four games under .500 on the road this season. They're the only team in the Western Conference playoffs with a losing record as visitors and just the second still playing in the entire league.
Detroit's Danny Cleary says he'll play in Game 1 and Darren Helm is questionable. Both have been out with injured left knees.
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