Sports Illustrated hockey writer Kostya Kennedy tells you how the conference semifinals will unfold

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 4 Capitals (4-2) vs. No. 8 Senators (4-2)

The Skinny: The return of defenseman Brendan Witt and forward Chris Simon from injuries gives Washington some formidable size that will be tough for the Sens to handle. Of course, that's what we thought about the Devils. Still, the Capitals should prove too strong along the boards. Washington also has a major weapon that New Jersey didn't have: 52-goal scorer Peter Bondra, who missed part of the Bruins series with a sprained ankle. Assuming Bondra is relatively healthy—he played the Caps' last game at less than 100%—he'll be hard to contain.

Ottawa forwards Daniel Alfredsson and Alexei Yashin were the best offensive players in the Devils series and they'll be buzzing in this series too. But with Bondra and center Adam Oates, the Capitals have players who can go get a goal when the team needs it most. The Senators are hot and riding some real confidence. They're also young and making their first foray into the heat of the postseason. The Caps have much more experience in guys like Brian Bellows, Dale Hunter, Phil Housley and that annual playoff sensation, Esa Tikkanen.

Prediction: Capitals in six.

No. 6 Sabres (4-1) vs. No. 7 Canadiens (4-2)

The Skinny: I expected the Sabres to beat the Flyers and now I expect them to get to the next round. But the Canadiens won't be as sloppy and as easily overcome as Philadelphia was. Buffalo's and Montreal's rosters are about even talent-wise. The Canadiens' line of Shayne Corson, Mark Recchi and Saku Koivu is the best in the series by far, but Michael Peca's line should be able to keep it under control.

The Sabres have a bunch of gutsy, blue-collar players, and while they have little offensive explosiveness (Miroslav Satan and Donald Audette are their best scorers) they swarm as a unit and move the puck with dangerous precision, particularly on the power play. Buffalo's getting some form of contribution from everyone, which is exactly what it needs. The spirit of the Sabres is fueled by goalie Dominik Hasek. He hasn't had to win games by himself yet, but he'll do that at least once this series.

Canadiens goalie Andy Moog is coming off a shutout against the Penguins and he's showing once again that the postseason is his time to thrive. Moog won't give up many soft goals and if forward Vincent Damphousse continues to show signs of awakening after a sleepy season, the Canadiens will make this a long series—before the Sabres close it out.

Prediction: Sabres in six.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Stars (4-2) vs. No. 7 Oilers (4-3)

The Skinny: No doubt Edmonton's speed will run the Stars around the rink a bit and wear down Dallas's aging legs. The Oilers have everything clicking right now: Glen Sather's savvy in-season acquisitions are jelling (winger Bill Guerin and defenseman Janne Niinimaa both scored in the series-clinching win over the Avalanche) and goalie Curtis Joseph is playing brilliantly in his final stretch before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Even with all that the Oilers won't overcome the Stars. I love experience when we get deeper into the playoffs, and Dallas has that top to bottom on its roster. The Stars have been re-living last year's first-round loss to the Oilers all season long, and they're intent on avenging it. Because center Mike Modano is the best player in the series and because I like Dallas's veteran defense of Derian Hatcher, Sergei Zubov, Shawn Chambers, Richard Matvichuk and the rest, the Stars will win the close games. Goalie Eddie Belfour played well against the Sharks—who traded for him last season, only to see him bolt to Dallas as a free agent—and will make key saves in this series, despite his detractors.

Prediction: Stars in five.

No. 3 Red Wings (4-2) vs. No. 4 Blues (4-0)

Ths Skinny: Detroit looked surprisingly beatable at times against the Coyotes, but with all their forwards healthy the Wings are not likely to be that vulnerable again. This is going to be a very hard-hitting, highly entertaining series—the most attractive of the second round. The way Sergei Fedorov and Slava Kozlov are playing together, their line can take over a game. The Wings are a calm, veteran team and they're gaining even more than their usual healthy confidence as the games progress.

I think the Blues' many longtime marginal players will be intimidated by Detroit at crunch time. It will also be fun to see how star defenseman Chris Pronger plays with all the heat on him. The Blues have had a great season but they do best against one-line teams that they can really shut down (like the Kings). The win over L.A. was expected and the long rest they've had won't make much of a difference—after all, Detroit will have had four days off as well and Scotty Bowman is a master at pacing his team.

Prediction: Red Wings in six.