MONTREAL vs. TAMPA BAY Must-Starts Tampa Bay: Steven Stamkos, Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, Valterri Filppula, Victor Hedman Montreal: Thomas Vanek, David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty, P. K. Subban, Andrei Markov, Carey Price Sleepers Tampa Bay: Matt Carle, Sami Salo, Teddy Purcell, Anders Lindback Montreal: Brenden Gallagher, Daniel Briere, Alex Galchenyuk, Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta, Lars Eller Notes: The Lightning actually have won 3 of 4 in the season series, 2 of those were in extended time. Their only loss was by a shootout so this should be a nail-biter of a series only if Ben Bishop were manning the nets for the Lightning.  Now the Bolts will have to go against the Canadiens without their number 1 net minder, Bishop (3-0-1 in series), who is possibly out until the second round with an upper body injury (UBI); that's if Tampa can get past the Habs.   Can Montreal goaltender Carey Price display the magic he flashed in the gold medal game in Sochi?  Can the Canadiens keep Steven Stamkos in check?  Stamkos should be well rested after missing a good chunk of the season with a leg injury. The Tampa Bay Lightning will need their veterans to take on bigger roles and be more involved if they want to get past Montreal. Their veteran presence on defense in the likes of Salo, Carle and Eric Brewer will need to be at their best while forwards Ryan Malone, Filppula and Purcell need to support their star Stamkos.  Lindback has shown flashes of brilliance especially filling in when Bishop got hurt in the last week of the regular season by going 3-0-0 with 2 shutouts but has been mostly inconsistent when counted on during the season. The Canadiens' roster packs an abundance of forward depth that has lots of playoff experience in Briere, Gionta, and Plekanec. The defense is solid 1-6 with Markov and Subban leading the charge and then there is Price in net.  Despite a minor injury right after the Olympic break, the 26-year old was 8-3-0 once he returned to the lineup and ended the regular season on a high note with a 1-0 overtime blanking of the New York Rangers. PRIME PREDICTION: Montreal in 6 On paper, the Montreal Canadiens seem to have the depth and experience to get past a team that is based mainly on two players, Stamkos and Bishop. Bishop has been the sole reason for the Lightning's success this season and without him, the Bolts will be hard-pressed to duplicate their season success in these playoffs.  Lindback has minimal playoff experience to boot.  The Canadiens will need all their veterans to contribute with all their playoff experience.  Their young talent can match the Bolts but it's the Habs' experience and having their No. 1 in net that should prevail in 6 without the home ice advantage. ********************************************************************************************************************************* DALLAS vs. ANAHEIM Must-Starts Dallas: Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Alex Goligoski, Trevor Daley, Kari Lehtonen Anaheim: Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Cam Fowler, Frederik Andersen Sleepers Dallas: Ray Whitney, Alex Chiasson, Valeri Nichushkin, Erik Cole Anaheim: Nick Bonino, Patrick Marron, Mathieu Perreault, Kyle Palmieri, Andrew Cogliano, Sami Vatanen, Jonas Hiller Notes: The Anaheim Ducks will face off against the Dallas Stars in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. Anaheim was one of the top teams in the league with a 54-28-8 record, and second in the NHL with 266 goals scored.  They are led by their outstanding duo of forwards Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, who scored 87 and 82 points each.  Anaheim has a lot of speed, and their supporting group is very good with Nick Bonino, Mathieu Perrault, Andrew Cogliano and Patrick Maroon all capable of chipping in goals. And they still have the amazing Teemu Selanne, who at 43 years old is still dangerous. But the Ducks are going to go only as far as Getzlaf and Perry take them. On defense they have the experienced Francois Beauchemin. The 33 year old had only 17 points this season, but he was a solid +26 on the year.  Stephane Robidas came over from Dallas in a trade late this season.  He is not much of a scorer, but maybe he can tell information about how the Stars play.  Cam Fowler is back in the lineup after missing a few games.  He does get the majority of power play time with the big guns.  The big problem with Anaheim is the goaltender situation.  Jonas Hiller was the nominal starting goaltender for most of the year, but he stumbled badly at the end of the season, winning only 3 of his last 11 games.  Frederick Andersen and John Gibson replaced him at the end of the season, and Andersen had a strong finish with 5 wins in his last 6 games.  Expect Andersen to get the first start in the playoffs, and if he plays well, he will be the starter through out the playoffs.  Great sleeper pick for the playoffs. The Stars are very much dependent on their dynamic forward duo of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. They scored 84 and 79 points each.  The Bruins will regret trading Seguin for Loui Eriksson, as he will be a big star in this league.  His one point in 22 playoff games a few years ago was the catalyst for the trade, but you have to let young talent mature.  The good news for Dallas is that 41 years old left wing Ray Whitney is back in action, and while he had only 32 points this season, his experience will be invaluable.  The problem with Dallas is the lack of secondary scoring.  Players like Cody Eakin, Vernon Fiddler and Alex Chiasson just don't score that much. Prime Prediction: Anaheim in 7 The Stars do have a big advantage in goal with Kari Lehtonen, whose big size at 6'4" and sharp reflexes contributed to a 33 win season with a 2.41 goals against and a .919 save percentage. So this series is going to be about Dallas' superior goaltending against their lack of secondary scoring.  Should be an exciting playoff series. ********************************************************************************************************************************