More of this Feature • Part 1: Big dogs in the West

Join the Discussion "Hurricanes in seven. Maple Leafs in seven." The Pinnacle

Related Resources • The best and worst of the opening round • Six keys to survival in the playoffs

Note: The numbers in brackets represent each team's original seeding in the final standings.

(4) Toronto Maple Leafs versus (7) Ottawa Senators

You could argue that the Philadelphia Flyers were such a mess that any team would have toyed with them. But give the Senators credit for taking full advantage and showing a killer instinct. This is a far more confident team than the one that folded in recent playoff years, and Daniel Alfredsson has emerged as a genuine leader.

The Leafs are beat up - Mats Sundin, their captain and best player, only played three games against the Islanders. But they have been hobbling for a couple of months now and they still find ways to win. Veterans like Gary Roberts and Alex Mogilny make plays no matter who their linemates are. Alyn McCauley stepped up from the bottom of the depth chart to provide crucial scoring in round one.

Toronto is as resilient as any team in the league and proved it by prevailing against a tough and talented New York team. Do they have enough left in the tank - or more precisely, their legs - to handle the rested and highly mobile Senators? The Leafs' all too frequent defensive lapses will likely cost them dearly.

Ottawa wins if... Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden lead the defence in holding off a dogged and relentless group of Leaf forwards.

Toronto wins if... names like Alfredsson, Hossa and Havlat make rare appearances on the scoresheet

Prediction: Senators in five.

(3) Carolina Hurricanes versus (8) Montreal Canadiens

Jose Theodore is the poster boy of the opening round after grabbing the Canadiens by the scruff of the neck and dragging them to victory. But credit also goes to his teammates, who played smart, disciplined hockey against Boston (allowing the Bruins two power plays in the final two games) and did not waste many scoring chances. They played to their limited strengths and leaned on Jose to do the rest.

Like Montreal, Carolina relies more on skill and smarts than brawn. Against New Jersey they got consistently good shifts throughout the lineup. No surprise that Ron Francis came through in the clutch. But who would have thought Bates Battaglia, Erik Cole and Jaroslav Svoboda could stare down the defending conference champions? Nobody can name more than two Carolina defensemen, but they did the job. It helped that Kevin Weekes plugged the hole in net when Arturs Irbe stumbled.

Both teams must look at the opposing lineup and think, "Geez, the team we just beat was a lot scarier than these guys." The 'Canes will outplay the Habs, but the series will be won or lost between the pipes, where Montreal has a decided edge.

Montreal wins if... the Jose Theodore who showed up for the last two games against Boston sticks around.

Carolina wins if... Jeff O'Neill emerges as the dominant offensive player in the series.

Prediction: Canadiens in seven.

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