Unlike the Western Conference, the Eastern Conference has clear-cut favorites and underdogs. The Penguins and Capitals are being picked by most of the pundits, while the rest of the teams in the East bracket are considered second class.
Whether the favorites will make their way out of the first round may be determined by how they match up with the underdogs.
For a deeper look at those matchups, we look to a key stat that could determine the outcome in Round 1.