NHL | Eastern Conference preview

No. 2 PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (47-27-8) vs. No. 5 NEW YORK RANGERS (42-27-13).

2007-08 series record: New York 5-3 (two wins in overtime).

How they got here: Pittsburgh defeated No. 7 Ottawa 4-0. New York defeated No. 4 New Jersey 4-1.

Playoff History: Pittsburgh 3-0.

Last meeting: Pittsburgh 4-1 in 1996 conference semifinals.

PITTSBURGH: Sidney Crosby was held to one goal by New York in seven games but had seven assists for a team-best eight points. Evgeni Malkin had five goals and two assists. ... Mario Lemieux and current Rangers captain Jaromir Jagr combined for 19 points in Penguins’ last playoff meeting with New York. ... Jagr is second only to Lemieux on Penguins’ career lists with 806 games played, 439 goals, 640 assists, and 1,079 points from 1990-2001. He is first with 78 game-winning goals. ... Pittsburgh lost all four games at Madison Square Garden this season and hasn’t won there since March 1, 2007. ... C Jordan Staal can expect time on the ice against brother Marc, a Rangers defenseman.

NEW YORK: C Chris Drury, in his first season with the Rangers, has reached the conference finals in all six previous playoff appearances over eight seasons. ... Scott Gomez had three goals and four assists against Pittsburgh. ... Henrik Lundqvist posted a .916 save percentage against Pittsburgh in eight games this season, holding Penguins to three goals or fewer seven times. He has 12-6-3 career mark versus Penguins. ... Rangers went 8-1 in first-round games over past two seasons. ... New York will have had six days off since eliminating Devils last Friday. Penguins will be coming off eight-day break. ... Three of the Rangers’ four power-play goals against Devils in first round put them in front. The other forged a tie.

OUTLOOK: Drury and Gomez carry New York to first conference finals appearance since 1997. Rangers in 6.

No. 1 MONTREAL CANADIENS (47-25-10) vs. No. 6 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (42-29-11).

2007-08 series record: Montreal 4-0.

How they got here: Montreal defeated No. 8 Boston 4-3. Philadelphia defeated No. 3 Washington 4-3.

Playoff History: Montreal 3-1.

Last meeting: Montreal 4-2 in 1989 conference finals.

MONTREAL: Canadiens led the NHL with 90 power-play goals and a 24.1-percent success rate during season, but went 3-for-33 (9.1 percent) with the advantage in series with Boston. ... On the flip side, the penalty-killers yielded only three goals in 30 short-handed situations. ... The Canadiens are meeting an opponent they swept in the regular season for the second straight series. Montreal, which went 8-0 against Boston, has won six consecutive against Philadelphia dating to a 4-2 loss on Nov. 25, 2006. ... Carey Price passed his first postseason test when the 20-year-old goalie became the fourth NHL rookie to record a shutout in a Game 7, topping Boston 5-0 on Monday. He is one of five rookies in the past 15 years to earn four wins in his first playoff series.

PHILADELPHIA: Danny Briere won over Philly fans in his Flyers playoff debut by posting an NHL-best six goals and 11 points in the series win over Washington. He scored four of Philadelphia’s eight power-play goals in the set. ... The Flyers were second to Montreal with 84 power-play goals in regular season and 21.8 percentage. Went 8-for-36 against Capitals after a 3-for-22 start in the first four games.

OUTLOOK: Montreal masters Flyers in playoffs again — barely. Canadiens in 7.

Associated Press