In Alex Kovalev, the Canadiens have one of the most dangerous players in the game. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

MONTREAL (1) vs. BOSTON (8)

Montreal:
Strengths — They have great speed, their special teams are strong - including the best power play in the NHL - and their overall defensive play is pretty solid as well. When he is on, Alexei Kovalev can be one of the most dangerous players in the game and he has tons of post-season experience and success. Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn both had good years, as did Christopher Higgins. Although not playoff proven, Carey Price appears to be the real deal in goal.

Weaknesses — There is a concern the Canadiens can't score often enough five-on-five and that they don’t have enough secondary scoring, period. Remember, they had two defencemen in their top five in scoring. They could really use Michael Ryder to step up offensively. There is also a concern about injuries, in particular to Saku Koivu and Michael Komisarek, and the worry they don't have the depth to survive the losses.

Key player — Price. There is a rich history of rookie goalies playing well for the Canadiens in the springtime and they desperately need Price to add to that legend.

Boston:
Strengths — It's a minor miracle these guys even made it to the playoffs when you consider the injuries they had to deal with, but Claude Julien is a good coach who put in a simple system they execute well. Tim Thomas is a better goalie than often given credit for, and Zdeno Chara bounced back to have a large season. If healthy, Marc Savard is one of the best playmakers in the game. Overall, it is the sum of the parts that makes them tick.

Weaknesses — At some point, the injuries have to wipe these guys out and there were signs of it late in the season before the Bruins rallied to secure a playoff spot. Their power play isn't great and the penalty killing was brutal. Eventually that will kill them, too. They simply have too much trouble scoring goals to win often enough in the playoffs and they couldn’t beat the Montreal Canadiens all season.

Key player — Glen Murray. He underachieved during the season, but has the goal-scoring ability to make the power play better and score some key goals.

PITTSBURGH (2) vs. OTTAWA (7)

Pittsburgh:
Strengths — With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Pens have two of the best players in the game. Add the likes of Ryan Malone and Marian Hossa to the mix and they have something none of the others in the East have in two lines that can consistently produce. They also have a good group of role players, disturbers and toughness. Experience isn't a problem, either. Their power play is also one of the best in the league, and the goaltending - once a concern - is no longer.

Weaknesses — The defence, on paper, isn't great, but they get the job done and their goals against is better than most getting to the playoffs in the East. Their penalty killing is in the bottom third, so they either have to be more disciplined or simply better or both.

Key player — Marc-Andre Fleury. He has been pretty darn good since returning from a high-ankle sprain, but he is going to have to be consistently terrific in the playoffs. There is the potential for having to beat some pretty good goalies along the way, such as Martin Brodeur and Henrik Lundqvist, but Fleury gained some much-needed experience last spring.

Ottawa:
Strengths — When they are on and healthy, the line of Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley is one of the very best in the league and incredibly explosive. But if Alfredsson is out for an extended period, that is crippling. Same applies to Mike Fisher, who can also be a terrific player, good at killing penalties and taking faceoffs. If he's gone... Cory Stillman is a proven winner and a good playoff performer. The Senators also have the experience and motivation gained from making it to the Stanley Cup final a year ago, and the desperate conclusion to the season, to help guide them.

Weaknesses — They have already been through the emotional wringer, having gone from being one of the best teams in the league to one that had to fight for its life just to make it into the playoffs. They may be spent. The big problems are a lack of secondary scoring, spotty defensive play, poor penalty killing and wildly inconsistent goaltending. Not exactly the recipe for success, especially when you factor in the losses of Alfredsson and Fisher.

Key Player — Antoine Vermette. He produced in the final two games when the injuries mounted, but with an overall lack of secondary scoring and now the absence of two key players, he has to step up his game and add to the offence and another dimension beyond Spezza and Heatley.

Alex Ovechkin's intensity fuels the Washington attack. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (3) vs. PHILADELPHIA (6)

Washington:
Strengths — Well, it starts with Alexander Ovechkin, who had an MVP-calibre season. He appears to be on a mission and has proven he is not only a great player, but a great big-game player. The Caps finished the season on an unbelievable roll, winning 11 of 12 to capture the Southeast Division title. Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Viktor Kozlov and Alexander Semin all had good years and it appears Sergei Fedorov is inspired again. Cristobal Huet gave them the goaltending required down the stretch to make the post-season.

Weaknesses — Overall, there is a lack of playoff experience and the risk that if you are able to shut down Ovechkin, you can also stop the Caps. Some have suggested there is also the slight risk that having charged so hard for so long to get to the playoffs, they may be a little emotionally tired once they get there, but that is highly doubtful. This is a good, young energetic group.

Key player — Fedorov. Picking Ovechkin is too obvious and he is definitely the key. But Fedorov, with his experience and skills, has the ability to be a difference maker as well - if he applies himself.

Philadelphia:
Strengths — They have some terrific young players, led by Mike Richards, who led the team in scoring. Their power play was top-five for most of the season and they showed some character down the stretch, finding the resolve to end a slump and win when they needed to get into the post-season. When he is on, Martin Biron can be very good in goal and Daniel Briere can be a game breaker, but he was also a defensive liability.

Weaknesses — Scoring goals wasn't a problem. Keeping them out was. Biron, like we said, can be good but has trouble handling a heavy workload, especially playing in back-to-back games, which could be problematic in the spring. Overall, they need to show a lot more discipline in staying out of the penalty box and tightening up in their own end.

Key player — Richards. They signed him to a long-term contract for a reason - he is the leader of the team.

NEW JERSEY (4) vs. NEW YORK RANGERS (5)

New Jersey:
Strengths — Their biggest asset, of course, is the guy between the pipes, Martin Brodeur. He had another terrific season and gives them a chance to win virtually every night. Needless to say, the Devils are very good defensively and they have a few gifted offensive players in Zach Parise, Patrik Elias and Brian Gionta, though none have really big numbers. The Devils can win tight games, which is significant in the playoffs.

Weaknesses — Like we said, they don't have really big offensive numbers. In fact, the Devils ranked close to the bottom in the league in scoring. So if the defence or Brodeur falters, like they did last spring, the Devils don't have a really good Plan B, meaning they're not going to win very many high-scoring games. The power play, by extension, isn't great and their penalty killing, surprisingly, ranked in the middle of the pack.

Key player — John Madden. Not only do the Devils need him to be their shut-down guy, to eliminate the best player on the opposition, but they need him to chip in with some timely offence as he has done in the past.

N.Y. Rangers:
Strengths — With the likes of Scott Gomez, Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan, on paper at least, offence should be a strength. That wasn't the case, of course, but there is the potential it will be a strength in the playoffs. Otherwise, the Rangers are rock solid in goal with Henrik Lundqvist and their overall defensive play is very good. Not surprisingly, their penalty killing ranked eighth and the Rangers got better as the season wore on. So, like last year, they may be peaking at the right time. They also have guys like Sean Avery - gritty players who are difficult to play against.

Weaknesses — Well, it's about that goal scoring. Or lack thereof. The Rangers had trouble all year scoring goals and had a power play that ranked in the bottom third of the league. Defence wins championships, true, but that lack of goal scoring could be problematic.

Key player — Chris Drury. He was brought in not only to lend to the attack, but because he is a proven winner. He can't be the minus player he was during the regular season and has to be the leader, like he was the past few springs with the Buffalo Sabres.