by Spector

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. New York Rangers

This may not be the dream matchup of Crosby versus Ovechkin had the Capitals advanced but it will arguably be the marquee series of the conference semifinals.

The Penguins finished second overall in the conference and first in the Atlantic Division over the Rangers, but it's the latter with the edge in the regular season series 5-3.

Led by young stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins swept the Ottawa Senators in the conference quarterfinals while the Rangers defeated their arch-rival New Jersey Devils in five games.

The Pens utilized their swift offensive attack, improved defense and the goaltending of Marc-Andre Fleury to eliminate the Senators, but they're facing a much tougher opponent in the Rangers.

In eliminating the Devils, the Rangers were a balanced team, combining lethal offensive talent with a strong defensive system. They've got a great mix of veteran talent and promising youth, and have superior goaltending in Vezina candidate Henrik Lundqvist.

This should prove to be a very entertaining series but in the end, the depth, experience and balance of the Rangers roster should win out.

Prediction: Rangers in 6 | Vote now!

Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche

It's the return of one of hockey's great rivalries as the Wings and Avalanche meet in the playoffs for the first time in five years.

The Avalanche are considered the underdogs in this series against the Wings, who finished first in the Western Conference and the league's overall standings, but they're not to be taken lightly.

Goalie Jose Theodore has rediscovered the form that once made him a Hart-Vezina winner. They've alo got plenty of postseason experience in Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth and returning Avs Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote, plus a crop of good young talent led by Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski.

But the Wings come into this capable of matching any style of play and are perhaps the best puck-possession team in the NHL, making them a very difficult club to contain.

They're loaded with postseason experience, led by Norris contending defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and two of the league's top offensive forwards in Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, and possess a good mix of youth and veteran talent.

The Red Wings swept the Avalanche in their regular-season series, but don't expect the same result in this one. The Wings will likely take it but this series will get rough.

Prediction: Red Wings in 6 | Vote now!

San Jose Sharks vs. Dallas Stars

The Sharks needed seven games to eliminate the Calgary Flames while the Stars rebounded from a late-season stumble to eliminate the defending Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks.

These Pacific Division rivals split their season at 4-4, setting the stage for what could be the most evenly matched series of the second round.

Both clubs possess strong goaltending in Vezina nominee Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco, the latter having finally shaken the stigma that he can't come up big in the playoffs.

The Sharks blueline corps has more playoff experience spread through its ranks and are healthier than the Stars going into this series, but the supposed lesser lights of Dallas' defense stepped up their play against the Ducks, and they should receive a big lift from the returning Sergei Zubov.

The Stars demonstrated a strong offensive punch against the Ducks that had been lacking in recent playoff performances, receiving significant contributions from their forward lines. Still, this is one area where the Sharks could have the advantage, powered by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau as well as playoff surprise Ryan Clowe.

This series has the potential to go the full seven games, but the Sharks should have enough to come through.

Prediction: Sharks in 7 | Vote now!

Montreal Canadiens vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Both clubs blew 3-1 leads in their last series, requiring seven games to eliminate their conference quarterfinal opponents, and won't have much rest before their first meeting on Thursday night in Montreal to open their series.

The Canadiens swept the regular season series against the Flyers 4-0, but as their series against the Bruins demonstrated, one shouldn't take that as a guarantee of an easy postseason series victory.

Both clubs head into this matchup with weaknesses that were clearly exposed by their first-round opponents. The Habs' power-play dried up against the Bruins' aggressive penalty-killing, and the Bruins almost neutralized the Canadiens' speed advantage with a physical defensive game.

The Flyers, meanwhile, found themselves struggling against the Capitals in the second half of their series, particularly in the third periods of Game 6 and 7 as their defense had difficulty containing the fleet-footed Capitals forwards.

Expect the Flyers to emulate the Bruins' physical defensive game. Unlike the Bruins, they've got the offensive depth to capitalize on their scoring chances. The Habs will try to counter with their speedy puck possession and a newfound physicality in hopes of wearing down the Flyers defense.

It could come down to goaltending, and while Philadelphia's Martin Biron has played well thus far, Montreal's Carey Price has been outstanding, and he could be the difference in this one.

Prediction: Canadiens in 6 | Vote now!