Key players in the Stanley Cup Playoffs

A matchup-by-matchup look at key players in each series:

EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Buffalo vs. 8. N.Y. Islanders: The Sabres have a shot at winning it all if G Ryan Miller continues to emerge. The Islanders need captain Alexei Yashin to play like the $80 million player he's paid to be. Yashin was the invisible man in the postseason when he played for Ottawa.

2. New Jersey vs. 7. Tampa Bay: The Lightning owned the Devils during the regular season, and it must get secondary scoring from F Brad Richards, who was huge during the Lightning's 2004 Cup run. The Devils' defense has to figure out how to stop Richards and C Vincent Lecavalier and W Martin St. Louis.

3. Atlanta vs. 6. N.Y. Rangers: This will be the highest-scoring series. It will be interesting to see how F Ilya Kovalchuk responds to playoff pressure. Teammate Marian Hossa had another incredible season, but he has been largely non-existent in postseasons for Ottawa. The Rangers signed F Brendan Shanahan for this very time.

4. Ottawa vs. 5. Pittsburgh: How will Senators G Ray Emery respond to the Penguins' offensive onslaught? Does the Penguins' Sidney Crosby take the next step in his superstar ascent by writing some playoff chapters worth remembering?

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Detroit vs. 8. Calgary: C Pavel Datsyuk needs to break his recent pattern of playoff disapperances and score for the Red Wings to avoid another first-round upset. G Miikka Kiprusoff has to take it up another notch, as he did in Calgary's 2004 run for the Flames to have a shot. Expect a very low-scoring series.

2. Anaheim vs. Minnesota: This intriguing matchup features two teams that will skate and hit, and probably fight. The Ducks will go as far as G Jean-Sebastien Giguere leads them - he keyed their 2003 run to the Finals. Wild F Marian Gaborik has to take over games, and he has more than enough ability to do so.

3. Vancouver vs. Dallas: This will be another brutally physical series, but the story should be the goalies. How the Canucks' Roberto Luongo, who carried the team most of the season, respond to his first playoff series? Can the Stars' Marty Turco shake off his playoff doldrums after another outstanding regular season?

4. Nashville at San Jose: Perhaps no series features as many top-end talents as this one. The Predators boast the likes of Fs Paul Kariya, Jason Arnott, Steve Sullivan and Peter Forsberg, while the Sharks counter with Cs Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau and W Jonathan Cheechoo. Both teams have two capable goalies, so whichever team can identify and ride the hot hand likely will move on. Both teams have excellent chances to go deep in the playoffs if a goalie emerges.