In the East, Pens will outlast Caps, Sabres

Storylines

1. WHO WANTS IT? The top seed in the East hasn't won more than one round in each of the last three seasons, with the Caps last season becoming the first No. 1 East seed to lose in the opening round since 2002. The Caps and Penguins are again the class of the conference, but is it worthwhile to grab that top overall spot?

2. SID VS. OVIE. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin get to renew their rivalry on the grandest regular-season stage New Year's Day, with the Penguins and Capitals meeting in Heinz Field in the Winter Classic. Neither could will his team to the Stanley Cup Finals last season, and Ovechkin has to prove he can lead his team over the long haul still.

3. A MESSY SUMMER IN NEWARK. Ilya Kovalchuk is indeed a Devil, but it took some wrangling with the NHL to approve the 15-year, $100-million deal, and Devils president Lou Lamoriello still has work to do to get under the salary cap. Throw in another first-round flameout by Martin Brodeur in the spring, and it's a crucial season for the most consistent franchise in the East.

4. RISING ABOVE THE MEDIOCRE. The playoff race in the East went down to the final shot of the final game, and then Flyers rode that wave all the way to the finals. There's still barely a difference in talent level between half a dozen teams in the East - the Senators, Flyers, Rangers, Thrashers, Canadiens, Hurricanes, Lightning and Islanders are still fairly even - so whoever can make the best run down the stretch could be the favorite to emerge from the conference.

5. WITH THE FIRST PICK OF THE 2011 NHL DRAFT . . . The Isles suffered serious injury setbacks already, but they won't fall that far. The Leafs again do not own their first-round pick - the Bruins could reach the Finals and pick No. 1 - but they're lottery-bound, not headed straight for the basement. The Panthers, who have GM Dale Tallon trying to right a listing ship, are going to be in the battle for the first overall pick from start to ugly finish.

Three of a kind

BEST FORWARDS

Sidney Crosby, Penguins. Keeps improving his all-around game and leadership.

Alex Ovechkin, Capitals. Best pure skill, but is that enough for this team?

Steven Stamkos, Lightning. Could be only second 60-goal scorer since the 1990s.

BEST DEFENSEMEN

Zdeno Chara, Bruins. Steady as ever, still as imposing as ever.

Dion Phaneuf, Leafs. New captain could help turn around flagship franchise.

Tyler Myers, Sabres. Rookie of the year winner hoping to avoid sophomore slump.

BEST GOALTENDERS

Ryan Miller, Sabres. No worries of Olympic hangover this season.

Tuukka Rask, Bruins. No. 1 job is all his, and deservedly so.

Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers. More time off may lead to better games down the stretch.

TOP NEWCOMERS

John Carlson, Capitals. Jumping into an already loaded team should help young defenseman.

Tyler Seguin, Bruins. No. 2 overall pick gets Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi as first linemates. Not too shabby.

P.K. Subban, Canadiens. Playoff experience should help future cornerstone defenseman.

ON THE BRINK

Fredrik Modin, Thrashers. Cup-winner not healthy enough to impact improving team.

Bryan McCabe, Panthers. Mean-streak defenseman losing a step for a losing squad.

Doug Weight, Islanders. Terrific leader, but already injuries are nagging at him.

Playoff picks

EIGHT WHO ARE IN

1. Penguins

2. Capitals

3. Sabres

4. Bruins

5. Devils

6. Senators

7. Rangers

8. Flyers

CONFERENCE FINAL

Penguins over Sabres in seven games.