First Round

The Senators have been the best team in the Eastern Conference all year while the Islanders completely backed into the playoffs. The Islanders should consider themselves lucky to win 1 game.

In past years the games have been close but the Stars since being upset in 1997 have been able to beat the Oilers relatively quickly. This time the games are not even going to be close.

The Bruins really have not played well over the entire second half while the Devils defensive style is always perfectly suited for the postseason.

The Mighty Ducks making the playoffs for the first time in 4 years are in a real mismatch against the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

This series promises to be good in a first round that could be short for many teams as they fought for the Southeast until the final week. The Lightning got the division but look for the Capitals to get the series.

The Avalanche finished the season on a strong note to capture their 9th straight division title. They have been in 6 of the last 7 Conference Finals while the Wild who are in just their first playoff appearance should be happy to win just 1 game.

This series is good enough to be a Conference Final but its in the first round. Either team can go on to the Stanley Cup but 1 will go home early. Look for the Flyers late season offensive additions to make the

The Blues defense will make the difference here as they are healthy for the first time all season with the return of Chris Pronger. The Canucks struggled at the end of the season and seemed to be running out of gas.