NHL Playoffs 2011: Eastern Conference Power Rankings

This is not a time of year for the weak at heart. It is time for nail biting, hair pulling, stressed-out-of-your-mind playoff hockey games that have a way of taking you to a place that no other sport can. Then once you go to sudden death overtime, it heads to a new level.

In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals hold the top spot, but the conference is full of talent. Here is a look at the Eastern Conference power rankings heading into the playoffs.

No. 8: Buffalo Sabres

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BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 25: Ryan Miller #30 of the Buffalo Sabres makes a save on Stephen Weiss #9 of the Florida Panthers at HSBC Arena on March 25, 2011 in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo won 4-2. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Buffalo kick starts the playoffs against the defending Eastern Conference Champions. The good news is the Flyers will be starting a rookie goaltender to start the playoffs. Either way you look at the matchup, the one constant positive for Buffalo is they have Ryan Miller in net for them.  

Buffalo is certainly a team that can score and was in the top 10 in the league in doing so. They were also in the bottom half in terms of goals against. If the Sabres cannot tighten up in their own end, this could be another short playoff run in Buffalo.

No. 7: New York Rangers

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NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 09: Henrik Lundqvist #30 and Brian Boyle #22 of the New York Rangers celebrate their 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on April 9, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Jonathan Klein/Getty Images)

Anytime you have Henrik Lundqvist in net for you, you have a great chance at winning. While the matchup between New York and Washington pits the top overall seed against the bottom, this is not an awful draw for the Rangers.  

With Washington's new commitment to a defensive style hockey, these could end up being low-scoring games. With Lundqvist in net, he will allow the Rangers to hang around and could help them pull the upset.

No. 6: Montreal Canadiens

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OTTAWA, CANADA - APRIL 07: Michael Cammalleri #13 of the Montreal Canadiens carries the puck up ice in a game against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place on April 7, 2011 in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)

Last year, Montreal made a memorable run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Along the way they stunned teams with their goaltending and timely goal scoring. This year they will need to do the same, or things start off rough against Boston.  

Montreal was towards the bottom of the league in terms of scoring but made up for it for much of the year with their defense. What Montreal must do is remain focused on playing their game and not get caught up in the emotion of the rivalry.

No. 5: Pittsburgh Penguins

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UNIONDALE, NY - DECEMBER 29: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum on December 29, 2010 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Pittsburgh is the biggest variable in all of the playoffs. With only one day separating the Pens from their first playoff game, there is still no word on the status of captain Sidney Crosby.  

With an effective Crosby, the Pens are a dark horse contender, but as of now they are on borrowed time. What the Pens will have to do is lean on their experience and goaltending.  

If they are able to get themselves out of the first round and give Crosby time to get back up to game speed, then they could be a nightmare second-round matchup.

No. 4: Tampa Bay Lightning

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 02: Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning waits for a faceoff during an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on March 2, 2011 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

In one year, Steve Yzerman has come to town and turned this franchise around with solid hockey moves in the offseason. Led by Steven Stamkos, the Lightning will match up with a Penguins team that has refused to give up on the year and by all accounts has overachieved.  

The Lightning were a top-10 offensive team this past season, but to win games in the Stanley Cup playoffs they will need to tighten up defensively.

No. 3: Philadelphia Flyers

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BUFFALO, NY - APRIL 08: Daniel Briere #48 (2nd from left) of the Philadelphia Flyers celebrates scoring Philadelphia's third goal against the Buffalo Sabres at HSBC Arena on April 8, 2011 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Although the Flyers struggled to secure the top spot in the East, this is still a team that went to six games in the Stanley Cup Finals last year. As it always seems to be with the Flyers, the question will be can they get elite goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky.  

Bobrovsky will enter his first Stanley Cup run and will be matched up against Ryan Miller on the other end. The Flyers have the talent to go far, but will only go as far as their rookie goaltender takes them.

No. 2: Boston Bruins

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BOSTON, MA - MARCH 24: Tim Thomas #30 of the Boston Bruins looks on during a stop in play in the second period against the Montreal Canadiens on March 24, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

If you are going to watch any opening-round series, make sure you do not miss a second of action in the Boston vs. Montreal series. These two original six teams have battled hard against each other this year and will certainly have no love lost between the two of them.  

Boston enters the series with a terrific blend of scoring and defense, currently sitting in the the top five for both of these categories this year. If Tim Thomas can put past playoff daemons behind him, the Bruins should be able to slug out a series win over Montreal.

No. 1: Washington Capitals

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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 29: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Verizon Center on March 29, 2011 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

With a late season surge, the Washington Capitals overtook the Philadelphia Flyers for the first overall seed in the East. In past years, the Capitals have been flying high, with high-scoring games, but this year they have flipped the script.  

While their wide open style of play was fun to watch, the Capitals have switched to a more defensive mindset this year and it has paid off so far. They were one of the top five teams in terms of goals against while their scoring dropped towards the lower third of the league. This new commitment to defense could be exactly what puts the Caps over the top.