Dietz breaks down the Eastern Conference playoffs
Here's a glance at the next round of Eastern Conference semifinals, along with my predictions for which teams will advance to the conference final:
Second-round Stanley Cup playoff capsules
EASTERN CONFERENCEPittsburgh Penguins (48-26-8) vs. Washington Capitals (56-18-8)
Penguins leaders:
Sidney Crosby (36-49-85)
Marc-Andre Fleury (.921) and Matt Murray (.930 in 13 games)
Capitals leaders:
Evgeny Kuznetsov (20-57-77) and Alex Ovechkin (50-21-71)
Branden Holtby (.922)
The skinny: Crosby vs. Ovechkin. Ovechkin vs. Crosby. Really … does it get any better than this? Two of the NHL's marquee players will square off in a series that fans won't want to miss. The Capitals bring a powerhouse team that scored the second-most goals and allowed the second-fewest during the regular season. They have Ovechkin, yes, but they also have seven other players who scored 17 or more goals. Oh, and probably the best goalie in the league this season in Braden Holtby. On the other side is Pittsburgh, which ousted the Rangers in five games in the first round. The Penguins advanced despite using backups Jeff Zatkoff and Matt Murray in net as Marc-Andrew Fleury is out with a concussion. Fleury is back on the ice and facing shots, but his return is still up in the air.
Prediction: Washington hasn't been to the conference finals since 1998, but that drought ends this year as the Caps take this series in 6.
N.Y. Islanders (45-27-10) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (46-31-5)
Islanders leaders:
John Tavares (33-37-70)
Thomas Greiss (.925)
Lightning leaders:
Nikita Kucherov (30-36-66) and Steven Stamkos (36-28-64)
Ben Bishop (.926)
The skinny: Tampa Bay cruised past Detroit in the first round in five games with Nikita Kucherov scoring 5 of the Lightning's 12 goals. Coach Jon Cooper's team still won't have Steven Stamkos, who is out after having surgery to remove a blood clot in his shoulder. As for the Islanders, this is the first time they've been in the second round since 1993. Team leader and leading scorer John Tavares put the team on his shoulders in Game 6 against Florida, scoring the game-tying goal with 54 seconds to go in regulation, then winning the game and eliminating the Panthers in double overtime. Isles goalie Thomas Greiss allowed just 13 goals in six games.
Prediction: Real tough call here. Can Tampa Bay continue to thrive without Stamkos? Others are banged up as well, including Anton Stralman and J.T. Brown. This is certainly a step up in class from the Red Wings, but it says here that Tampa Bay has enough to sneak by New York in 7.