Bill Clement

There are certainly strong contenders in both conferences to become the NHL champions, but I'm predicting a Buffalo-Detroit Stanley Cup finals, with the Red Wings winning because of their excellence both offensively and defensively and because they are nearly flawless on special teams.

Red Wings built for a championship  
Top to bottom, Detroit is incredible. It has so much firepower, but can also gut and grind out victories if they have to.

Many think Detroit is a high-flying, puck control team — which it is when an opponent allows it to play that way — but the Red Wings can also take on and beat other teams in any style of play an opponent so chooses to employ.

There are few possible hurdles that would keep the Red Wings from the finals. One is that Detroit has young players, but overall it is not a young team, so long series and grueling games could take their toll.

Their potential Achilles' heel could be in goal, where longtime backup Manny Legace must prove himself confident and capable of performing like a No. 1 netminder, one who can help his team to a championship. At 33, Legace enters the postseason with only four playoff starts.

If Detroit doesn't win the Cup, there's a good chance it will be because of goaltending, but I wouldn't bet against Legace.

Flames will be physical
Calgary doesn't score much. The Flames are near the bottom of the league in offense, but they are near the top of it in defense.

Bill Clement on the NHL Changed Rangers dangerous Aggressive, uptempo style is playing well on Broadway

Coach Darryl Sutter's team is the toughest team to take on in the playoffs. Defensemen Robyn Regehr and Dion Phaneuf just punish opponents.

And not to be overlooked is that in Miikka Kiprusoff the Flames have the top goalie in the Western Conference. Calgary has to be considered very dangerous.

Will Stars align in playoffs?
Dallas has done so many good things over the course of the regular season. Center Mike Modano is the Stars' key guy, and he has had a very good year. But Dallas is more than Modano.

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The Stars can throw three different lines out on the ice, and all of them can put the puck in the net. Three Finns — Jussi Jokinen, Jere Lehtinen, and Antti Miettinen — are playing tremendously well.

On the blue line they have 35-year-old Sergei Zubov, who seems to be ageless and who seems like he can play forever. He can log 25 or 30 minutes a game and never look tired.

Goalie Marty Turco has played in just three playoff series in his career, winning one of those. This is the season Turco will be looking to establish himself as a top playoff goalie and not just a top regular-season goalie.

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