The Eastern Conference finals feature both No. 1 seeds for the first time since the NHL adjusted its playoff format four years ago, and there's no shortage of star power and storylines as the Lightning and Capitals chase their first Stanley Cups of the salary-cap era.

Washington is makingits first conference finals appearancesince 1998 after finally vanquishing the rival Penguins in the second round. Tampa, meanwhile,is aStanley Cup semifinalistfor a third time in four years and the heavy favorite advance after facing very little turbulence so far in the postseason.

GOLDEN STANDARD

The Lightning enter the series with their high-powered roster fully intact,while the health of NicklasBackstromcould loom large for the Capitals. Their top center sat out Game 6 Jose Cruz Jersey of the second round, but traveled with the team to Tampa and practiced Thursday.Andre Burakovsky also could return for Game 1. Tom Wilson, suspended three games for his hit to the head of the Penguins' Zach Aston-Reese, will be back in the Capitals' lineup for the opener.

Sporting News' NHL experts , and make their series predictions below.

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Lightning (-155) vs. Capitals (+135): Schedule, picks, predictions

Game 1: May 11 at Tampa Bay, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, fuboTV)Game 2: May 13 at Tampa Bay, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, fuboTV)Game 3: May 15 at Washington, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, fuboTV)Game 4: May 17 at Washington, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, fuboTV)*Game 5: May 19 at Tampa Bay, 7:15 p.m. (NBC, fuboTV)*Game 6: May 21 at Washington, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, fuboTV)*Game 7: May 23 at Tampa Yordan Alvarez Jersey Bay, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, fuboTV)

(All times Eastern; * If nece sary)

Regular season meetings: TB, 4-3 OT (10/9); WSH, 3-1 (11/24); TB, 4-2 (2/20)

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Tale of the tape

Offense: The Capitals boast the top offense in these playoffs (3.58 goals per game) on the strength of their big three up front Ovechkin(8 goals, 15 points), Kuznetsov (7 goals, 14 points), Backstrom(3 goals, 13 points) who are all producing a point per game.Lars Eller, Jakub VranaandT.J. Oshiehave also stepped up when needed, and Tom Wilson returns from suspension for Game 1. Backstrom's health is the big wild card if they're going to out-gun a Lightning team whose own superstars have yet to play their best hockey (a scary thought), yet Tampa's 3.50 goals per game is just a tick off the Caps' pace. The Lightning simply have too much firepower.

Advantage: Lightning

Defense: John Carlson's offensive contributions both at event strength and on the power play have been important, but the Capitals' top fourwithDmitry Orlov,Matt Niskanenand Michal Kempnydoesn't hold water againstTampa'sglut of Houston Astros Jersey No. 1 blueliners. Consider that the Lightning have the luxury of rolling out Norris finalist Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and/or Anton Stralmanon the ice at all times,each averaging at least 22 minutes per game. They've barely neededMikhail Sergachev and have evengotten two goals from unlikely hero Dan Girardi.

Advantage: Lightning

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Goaltending:The Capitals are 8-2 since turning to Braden Holtby, who's allowing just over two goals per game and has a .926 save percentage good for third in the playoffs. He's the biggest difference between an early first-round Michael Brantley Jersey exit and where the Capitals stand now. Likewise, counterpartAndrei Vasilevskiy(8-2, 2.20, .927) has also been stellar through two rounds, showing no signs of fatigue that led to his second-half slump.

Advantage: Split

Special teams:This is a meeting between the top two power plays remaining in the postseason (Capitals,30.9 percent; Lightning,26.3 percent). They're both lethal in their own ways, whether it's Ovechkinor Carlson winding up for one-timers or Kucherov and Stamkosplaying tic-tac-toe. The Achilles' heel for Tampa all season has been itspenalty kill. That's continued into the playoffs (74.2 percent),something Washington will need to exploit.

Advantage: Capitals

Coaching: Barry Trotzlikely saved his job by going back to Holtbyin net after the failedPhilipp Grubauer experiment. Whether it was a stroke of coaching genius or sheer luck is open for debate, but it hasworked. The Lightning bench features one of hockey's great tacticians in Jon Cooper, and he can do no wrong so far these playoffs.

Advantage: Lightning

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Staff predictions

Brandon Schlager(9-2): I for one am thrilled forthe Capitals and Ovechkin, who deserve all the cred they're finally receivingand then some for shaking the Penguins from their shoulders once and for all. It's amusing and all too ironicthis is the team that finally accomplished it and ended the D.C. sports curseasthose Presidents' Trophies sit and gather dust. Through a mostly stre s-free regular season, Ovechkin'sbeen responsible for muchof the heavy lifting in what will go down as a defining performance inhis Hall of Fame career. It would be a great story to see it end with J.R. Richard Jersey a Stanley Cup, but I thinkthe Lightning, unscathed inseries victories over the Bruins and Devils, simply will prove to be a matchup nightmare for a Capitals team that took a few lumps from Columbus and Pittsburgh. Tampa hasgiven us no reason to question there's a more superior team in the Eastern Conference. Why start now?

Lightning in 6 games

Evan Sporer(7-4):Heres the problem with the teams that keep coming up against the Lightning: Tampa Bays defense is much better than the team they just finished beating. Where the Bruins top line ran roughshod over the Maple Leafs' porous defense in round one, the likes of Hedman,McDonaghandStralman playing with Points line was the difference-maker in round two.

The Capitals' forward depth is a bit shaky (I think thats a fair statement when Tom Wilson is playing on your top line) and I dont see them stretching out Tampa or giving them too many problems. Whatever this injury is to Backstrom, if its anything long term thats of major, major concern to Charlie Morton Jersey the Capitals. Expect Cooper to go with Points line against Ovechkins as much as he can, which means J.T. Miller, Stamkosand Kucherov would get the Capitals' second line (po sibly sans Backstrom). And the Stamkos line is just starting to get hot, which is bad news no matter how healthy the Capitals are.

I think this series goes six games because Holtby has looked like the goaltender who entered these playoffs with the highest-ever postseason save percentage (yes,that belonged to Braden Holtby). He might be able to mask some of the Capitals' deficiencies in a seven-game series, but in virtually all instances, if one team is much better than