While few predicted the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres would be the two teams left standing come the Eastern Conference Finals, there is no question both have earned their places in the final fight for a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Carolina knocked off Montreal in the first round before dispatching the red-hot New Jersey Devils in Round 2. The 'Canes have won eight of their past nine playoff games by returning to the quick, relentless style that helped the club run away with the Southeast Conference title and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

Buffalo, meanwhile, opened the hockey world's eyes with a pair of stunning series victories, sending home the more physical and experienced Flyers before dismantling the top-seeded Ottawa Senators in a masterful display of a skill and tenacity during the course of five taut contests.

Both teams rely on their depth and team speed to find success, suggesting that this series will be played at a furiously high tempo and could conceivably be stretched to a Game 7. Stacked, if unheralded, defense corps and hot, young goalies on each side of the equation offer further proof that this series could be decided by the smallest of margins.

Each team has game-breakers capable of making the difference when the strengths are cancelled out. Youngster Eric Staal has continued his regular-season dominance for the Hurricanes, following up a 100-point regular season with a team-high 15 points this postseason. Captain Rod Brind'Amour has been dominant in all three zones, setting the example his Carolina teammates have eagerly followed to long-term success.

For Buffalo, it is more a case of offense by committee, but Chris Drury and Daniel Briere, the team's co-captains, remain imminently capable of taking over not only a game, but a series.

Because of the depth on display for both teams, the coaches in this series will be forced to do their best job yet in the postseason. Carolina's Peter Laviolette will have to find a way blunt Buffalo's relentless wave of attacking options by judiciously deploying his defenders and exploiting advantages in matchups between forward lines. Buffalo's Lindy Ruff, meanwhile, most find answers for Carolina's rampaging top two lines, which have carried the day so far. He must also find a way to address Laviolette's penchant to double-shift Staal at every possible turn.

Carolina Game Breakers

1. Mark Recchi: The veteran right wing has yet to truly break out in these playoffs, but he has been incredibly consistent, managing three goals and eight points in 11 games. He is underrated in his own end and can be more dangerous on the attack if he concentrates on shooting more often. Recchi has just 21 shots in his 11 postseason outings.

2. Mike Commodore: The big, physical defenseman is known primarily for his big, bushy mop of red hair and his happy-go-lucky personality. But, the 26-year-old defender has quickly developed into an elite defender, playing more than 20 minutes a game, often against an opponent's top line. In the New Jersey series, he was one of the players responsible for keeping the Devils top line bottled up for all but the briefest flashes of brilliance.

3. Cam Ward: The rookie goalie has been utterly unfazed by being thrown into the deep end by Laviolette. He has won eight of his nine playoff starts, has a .930 save percentage and a 1.77 goals-against average. He followed a shaky Game 4 outing against New Jersey -- four goals on 17 shots -- by allowing just one goal in the clinching game a little more than 24 hours later.

Buffalo Game Breakers

1. J.P. Dumont: Half of Dumont's six goals have come on the power play, which will be key in a series between two such evenly matched clubs. Dumont also has the speed to stretch Carolina's defense and open up the ice for his linemates. Just as importantly, he is far from a liability in his own end, with defensive responsibility a requisite for earning ice time in this series.

2. Henrik Tallinder: In his first playoff action, the 27-year-old Tallinder has been a revelation for those that do not watch Buffalo on a regular basis. He plays in all situations, is adept at moving the puck away from danger and containing threats as they develop in his own zone. Consequently, he plays almost 22 minutes per game and puts himself in numerous positions to be a difference-maker in the process.

3. Daniel Briere: The Sabres' co-captain is one of the reasons Buffalo is so dangerous in the offensive zone as he forms part of a potent one-two punch up the middle with Chris Drury. He and Drury share the team lead with 13 points and Briere has a team-high nine assists. But, he is far from just a playmaker, firing off 32 shots, which is tied for the team lead.

X Factors

Andrew Ladd (CAR): Inserted into the lineup when veteran Josef Vasicek struggled to find his form in a return from injury, Ladd has provided Laviolette with another big body to deploy in the attacking zone. Ladd has relished that role. In his limited action, banging bodies with abandon and causing traffic jams in the slot. He has two assists in his first three playoff games and has earned trust from Laviolette with his responsible and disciplined play across the three zones.

Ryan Miller (BUF): Miller just keeps silencing his critics with his play. After allowing nine goals in two road losses to Philadelphia, Miller responded by allowing just one goal during the next two games. Against Ottawa, he allowed six goals in a game Buffalo eventually won in OT. Then, in the next four games, including two OT contests, he allowed just seven goals. Now, he will face the most relentless attack he has seen so far and he must once again find the answers to the challenges the swarming, crease-crashing 'Canes will pose.