Sports Illustrated staff writer Kostya Kennedy tells you who will square off for Lord Stanley's Cup

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 4 Capitals (40-30-12) vs. No. 6 Sabres (36-29-17)
Season series: Tied 2-2

How they got here: Sabres defeated Flyers (4-1 in first round) and Canadiens (4-0 in semis); Capitals defeated Bruins (4-2 in first round) and Senators (4-1 in semis).

The skinny: Both teams will be well-rested so this could be a very tightly contested series. If the Capitals get early leads and sit on them the way they did against the Senators, it could also be pretty boring. Washington has good veteran talent and Olaf Kolzig is playing phenomenally in goal. But I think Buffalo will take this series. I expect Michael Peca and the other defensive-minded forwards to be able to squelch the Caps' offense. The Sabres will be up against the best goaltending they've faced all playoffs, but they've shown surprising offensive versatility and good speed. And wingers Vaclav Varada and Michal Grosek have been outstanding. Buffalo has emotion on its side; Matthew Barnaby and Co. are reveling in the team's playoff run.

It comes down to this: Kolzig is playing well, but he's not Dominik Hasek. I think Hasek's charmed season will continue for another round.

Prediction: Sabres in six.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Stars (49-22-11) vs. No. 3 Red Wings (44-23-15)
Season series: Red Wings lead 2-1-2

How they got here: Stars defeated Sharks (4-2 in first round) and Oilers (4-1 in semis); Red Wings defeated Coyotes (4-2 in first round) and Blues (4-2 in semis).

The skinny: Here it is, the series we've been eyeing for months. These are the two best teams in hockey and have been all season—never mind all those folks who jumped on the St. Louis bandwagon. These teams played some extremely entertaining games in the regular season. Dallas' depth can almost match Detroit's—that is, the Stars can roll over four lines, as the Wings do, and not suffer from any major mismatches. Center Joe Nieuwendyk's absence with a torn ACL is of course a major loss for the Stars, but they've been shrugging off injuries all season. Detroit, meanwhile, has center Doug Brown back from a separated shoulder, and the team is on its game. The Wings still have more depth and, more importantly, have superior playmakers in forwards Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov, Slava Kozlov and Steve Yzerman. A few of these games might come down to one player making a brilliant play in an otherwise even matchup. Big test for Dallas center Mike Modano here—how he plays in this series will have an impact on the Stars for the next couple of years.

Prediction: The Red Wings have the experience and the edge in talent and they're my pick. I think it'll take them six games.