The Nashville Predators are set to face the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Canucks will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-7 series with Game 1 either April 21 or April 22.

Looking at the season series results, you'd think the Predators have no chance.

The Canucks (50-22-9, 109 points) swept the Predators (47-30-5, 99 points) in the regular season, winning all three matchups, including two on the road in Nashville. Vancouver outscored Nashville 13-6 in those three games, proving themselves the better team early on.

But those games were played way back in November and December. The calendar − and the Predators' season − has flipped since then.

Nashville Predators improved dramatically since swept by Vancouver Canucks

The last time the Predators faced the Canucks was Dec. 19, a 5-2 loss at Bridgestone Arena that wasn't even that close. Vancouver built a 4-1 lead after two periods and chased goaltender Juuse Saros from the game. Cody Glass scored a late goal for the Predators, but the Canucks were clearly the better team.

Since that date, the Predators have not only won more games than the Canucks, they've outscored them as well. Nashville has averaged more goals per game (3.32), more shots per game (33.6), and had a more successful power play (22.1%) than Vancouver since Dec. 20.

And in the second half of the season, the difference is even more dramatic.

Since Feb. 1, Nashville ranks second in the NHL in goals per game (3.71), second in shots per game (34.4), and second in power play success (27.2%). Vancouver ranks 24th, 24th, and 25th in those three categories over the same span.

The Canucks built their lead in the standings during the first couple months of the season, but have since cooled off. They started 20-9-1 in their first 30 games, but have gone 16-10-4 in their final 30 games.

Nashville started 17-13-0 in their first 30 games and finished 20-7-3 in their final 30 games.

Momentum doesn't mean everything, but the results suggest Nashville has more of it entering the playoffs.

Barry Trotz's in-season roster adjustments prepared Predators for playoffs

Not only are the Predators playing better hockey now than when they last faced the Canucks, they have a different roster.

New general manager Barry Trotz, recognizing this team needed a shake up early on, made roster adjustments during the season that set the Predators up for success.

First, two young players who played in those early losses to the Canucks are now playing for Nashville's AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. Juuso Parssinnen and Philip Tomasino had promise entering the season, but struggled to fit in new coach Andrew Brunette's system.

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Then, Trotz added to the team at the trade deadline, bringing Jason Zucker in from Arizona and Anthony Beauvillier from Chicago. Beauvillier also played 22 games for the Canucks early in the season, before being traded to the Blackhawks. The speed and veteran leadership those players have added to the locker room has been crucial down the stretch.

Add to the mix Mark Jankowski, a smart, two-way forward with size, and Spencer Stastney, one of the team's best skating defenseman, and the Predators boast a deep, talented lineup for the playoffs.

With those changes, Brunette was able to set a deep lineup every game, finding combinations of speed, skill, and size on every forward line and defensive pair. It helped lead the Predators to a franchise record 18-game point streak and fueled their rise to playoff contention.

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When the puck drops for Game 1, many will look to their season series as the litmus test, assuming the Canucks have the edge. But given the relative performance of the teams since they last met four months ago, there's a good case for giving the edge to Nashville.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Predators improved after Vancouver Canucks swept season series