The 2015 NHL Playoffs are marked with a slew of first round matchups that are truly tough to call, and the Calgary Flames against the Vancouver Canucks is one of them.

On paper, there is nothing that stands out from both teams. Take for example their respective shot attempt percentage; the Canucks finished the season at 49.53, while the Flames were at a paltry 44.43. Their goals per game and goals against per game don't jump out at you as well, with Calgary (2.89/2.6) and Vancouver 2.88/2.68.

But as they've proven all season long, numbers don't matter. You'd have been hard pressed to find anyone who would've picked these two teams to make the playoffs, yet both of them are here.

Even through great adversity, when they lost team MVP Mark Giordano, the Flames steered the ship without him, going 12-6-3. You could point out to their coach Bob Hartley, who's done such a good job he's considered the frontrunner for the Jack Adams Award. His work has translated into a team that knows nothing but to work, and it's resulted into a gritty team that can give anyone fits.

On the other side, Canucks coach Willie Desjardins has also done a commendable job with the roster he's got. He's made the most of what's on his plate, and whenever it seems like Vancouver was just about ready to fold, they've shown a distinct sort of resiliency that's brought them to this point.

Look for 20-year-old Sean Monahan to be the x-factor for the Flames. He's filled in brilliantly after they lost Giordano, showing tremendous growth from his rookie season, scoring 31 goals.

For Vancouver, their fate will most likely still be in the hands of the Sedin twins who have led them once again in scoring this season (Daniel with 76 points, and Henrik with 73).

This figures to be tough matchup for both teams, and has the potential to go the full seven game route.

Game 2 between these two teams is scheduled on Friday at 10:00 pm ET, check out the live stream link here.