Posted: Fri April 24, 1998

Sports Illustrated hockey writer Kostya Kennedy will answer your NHL questions through the Stanley Cup Finals. Click here to send a question.

Plenty of great questions are rolling in from all corners of the globe, so keep them coming. Without further ado ...

Kostya, do you have a good medical plan? Because you're going to need a good doctor to fix your ankles when you break them jumping off the Buffalo Sabres' bandwagon next week. The Flyers will win in five games. Get your crutches ready.
—Rob, Philadelphia

Rob, I'll take my chances on the bandwagon—I anticipate a pretty smooth ride through the first round. Your Flyers are big, but ... well, they're playing scared. They panicked in dismissing coach Wayne Cashman and acquiring Sean Burke clearly worsened an already serious goaltending problem. Now they're putting in a keeper who hasn't played a postseason game in years. Explain the thought process because I can't.

The Flyers have lots of size and John LeClair is a pleasure to watch, but what this team lacks, on the ice and off, is strong and cohesive leadership. I don't think Eric Lindros is that type of leader, not on this team anyway. The Sabres have a big task in front of them, but when the first round is over, the bandwagon will be rolling on.

Do you think Chris Osgood can carry the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup again this year?
—Gaston Gallant, Wellington, Prince Edwards Island

Honestly, he won't have to do much "carrying." Of course Osgood has to play well for the Wings to win, and I think he will, but Detroit's defenseman and overall defensive play are good enough to take the pressure off him. General manager Ken Holland was wise not to go out and get a veteran keeper as a backup. That might have unnerved Osgood, who has been emotionally vulnerable before. It was also a good thing that Osgood didn't have to face Mike Vernon of the Sharks—who earned the Conn Smythe Trophy backstopping last year's Cup champs—in the first round. This is Osgood's playoffs, and he's good enough to win on this very good team. More below.

How well do you think Sergei Federov will play during the playoffs? What team do you think is most likely to win the Stanley Cup this year?
—Alex Kogan, Moscow, Russia

I think Fedorov is primed for a terrific postseason. He's well-rested and he's got his timing, so I expect him to be flying. Watch how well he plays defense when he's not buzzing in the offensive zone. He's definitely pumped to show he's worth his $6 million a year.

The return of Fedorov was, for me, the final piece for the Red Wings—that and the acquisitions of defensemen Jamie Macoun and Dmitri Mironov. Now Detroit's defense, starting with the league's best tandem of Nicklas Lidstrom and Larry Murphy, is strong top to bottom. And there's incredible depth at forward: Guys like scrappy Kirk Maltby and swift Kris Draper see the ice at crucial spots, and the Wings have real warhorse stars in Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan. There's rambunctious Darren McCarty—who has been underrated for a couple of years—plus the dependable Igor Larionov and savvy Doug Brown.

Add to that great cast the leadership of that genius gnome, Scotty Bowman—it all makes the Wings the team to beat.

Will the return of Mike Modano help the Dallas Stars or throw off the team's chemistry?
—Rich Williams, Wheaton, Ill.

He will definitely, definitely help. We will discuss the Stars in greater detail as the playoffs unfold. I think they'll be around for a while.

What do you think of the Kings' chances in the playoffs? What things do they have to step up to beat a team like Detroit if they get into the second round?
—Leno, State College, Pa.

You're thinking about the second round already? The Kings have had a wonderful season and Rob Blake has been outstanding. But I don't think they can get past the Blues in the opening round. St. Louis is really deep and can stand up to the Kings' size. Jozef Stumpel has been great but the Blues are lethal against a one-line team, which is what the Kings are. And assuming Grant Fuhr stays healthy, you have to give him the edge over Stephane Fiset.

So, my faithful Kings fan, keep focused on the first round. If the Kings win, let's talk again. Hope for some crazy bounces.

Do you think Dominik Hasek will win the Hart Trophy for the second year in a row?
—Steve Rutkowski, Grand Island, N.Y.

Personally I'd vote for Jaromir Jagr, only because Hasek struggled so badly in the beginning of the year. I'd put Hasek second. My guess is the voters will agree.

So if Mike Ditka was on a hockey team, do you think that team would win the Stanley Cup (even if it was the Blackhawks)?
—Peter Kritsch, Chicago

Put him in goal and it's guaranteed.

Send a question to Kostya Kennedy, and check back next week to read more of his responses.

Previous NHL Playoff Mailbags
April 16: Setting the stage for the scramble
April 21: Reasons to get upset