Capitals
Record: 54-15-13
Analysis: With two players tallying more than 100 points and two more with at least 75, Washington seems to be the prohibitive favorite after its most prolific season in franchise history. Alex Ovechkin eclipsed the 50-goal mark for the fourth time and Nicklas Backstrom followed him to 100 points as the Capitals scored more than 3.8 goals per game. That''s about half a goal more than anyone else in the league. The only question at this point is who will be between the pipes. The Capitals haven''t announced whether they''ll go with Jose Theodore or Semyon Varlamov in net to start the playoffs. However, with their offense, it may not matter.

Blackhawks
Record: 52-22-8
Analysis: Chicago ended a decade-long span of NHL obscurity by reaching the Western Conference Finals a year ago. One year later, it parlayed that success into a record-breaking season. The Blackhawks notched franchise marks in both points and victories this season and won a division crown for the first time in nearly 20 years. With youngster Patrick Kane propelling the offense, they have the firepower to make a run to their first Stanley Cup in almost half a century, but it could come down to goaltending. Antti Niemi has the hot glove after wrestling the starting gig from Cristobal Huet.

Player of the series: Alex Ovechkin (4 goals, 3 assists)

Chances of Winning Stanley Cup: Capitals 50.92% - Blackhawks 12.12%