STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS PREVIEW CAPSULES

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

NO. 2 SAN JOSE vs. NO. 6 CALGARY

BREAKDOWN

Welcome home Darryl Sutter, now get lost. Shark fans will hardly be sending glad tidings to Sutter, who coached San Jose for five seasons while the Sharks became a strong Western Conference team. Now Sutter has the fear-of-success Flames, who have often found a way to miss the playoffs before this season. On the ice, the ex-Shark that San Jose players must worry about is goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, who has been sensational since he was acquired from San Jose in November. He brings a 149-minute 11-second goal-less streak into this series. Calgary’s Jarome Iginla has cemented his status as one of the next great players. His 41 regular-season goals tied him for the NHL lead. During the playoffs, he has played with a passion that has pressured opponents and led to scoring opportunities. Veteran Martin Gelinas has had the two biggest moments in Calgary since the Flames won the Stanley Cup in 1989. He scored an overtime goal in Game 7 against Vancouver in the first round, then repeated that feat to eliminate Detroit in Game 6. The Flames are hoping to get some of their injured players back, including forward Chris Simon (ankle). The Sharks remain mostly a faceless bunch of pests, with youngsters Jonathan Cheechoo and Nils Ekman distinguishing themselves. The Sharks buried Colorado in the second round, harassing and checking the Avalanche into submission. Veteran Vincent Damphousse asserted himself. He was nearly traded a year ago during the Sharks’ fire sale. Turned out to be a good non-move. Evgeni Nabokov has been the class of Western Conference goaltenders.

Key injuries: San Jose: LW Scott Thornton (lower body), RW Scott Parker (hand), LW Marco Sturm (ankle). Calgary: Denis Gauthier (lower body), D Toni Lydman (lower body), LW Chris Simon (lower body), C Dean McAmmond (back), C Steve Reinprecht (shoulder).

Goaltenders: San Jose: Nabokov (8-3, .949 save percentage); Calgary: Kiprusoff (8-5, .931 save percentage).

Top scorers: San Jose: Damphousse, five goals, six assists; Patrick Marleau, seven goals, three assists. Calgary: Iginla, six goals, six assists; Gelinas, five goals, four assists.

Prediction: This is between two lunch-pail teams. Sharks feast, winning in six.

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EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

NO. 1 TAMPA BAY vs. NO. 3 PHILADELPHIA

BREAKDOWN

Tampa Bay won all four regular-season games against the Flyers. As players from both teams were quick to point out, that was then, this is the playoffs. Lightning players have cooled their skates for eight days, waiting for an opponent. The rust factor can be a problem, especially with a team that depends a little more on finesse. The Flyers have displayed character and quality in dispatching two of the conference’s toughest teams, New Jersey and Toronto. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay fattened up on the eighth-seeded New York Islanders and seventh-seeded Montreal. The “Chicago Three” had a big hand in getting the Flyers to the conference finals for the fourth time in the last 10 seasons. Jeremy Roenick, Tony Amonte and Alexei Zhamnov -- all former Blackhawks -- were dominating as a line against Toronto in the second round. Robert Esche continues to emerge and is making a case as being the best U.S.-born goaltender in the NHL. He was knocked groggy after taking a puck to the head in Game 5 against Toronto but bounced back and had an impressive showing in Game 6. The Lightning, a first-time conference finalist, has proved that its 106-point regular season was based on substance. Tampa Bay skated circles around the Islanders and Canadiens, and remained sound doing it. Martin St. Louis, the NHL’s leading scorer during the regular season, did not disappear when play became grittier in the playoffs. Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin has four shutouts in the playoffs and has given up only one goal in two other games. Tampa Bay’s Dave Andreychuk is the active player who has played the most regular-season NHL games -- 1,597 in 22 seasons -- without winning a Stanley Cup.

Key injuries: Tampa Bay: D Jassen Cullimore (wrist). Philadelphia: RW Sami Kapanen (head), D Vladimir Malakhov (head), D Eric Desjardins (forearm).

Goaltenders: Tampa Bay: Khabibulin (8-1, .964 save percentage); Philadelphia: Esche (8-3, .931 save percentage).

Top scorers: Tampa Bay: Fredrik Modin, five goals, six assists; St. Louis, four goals, seven assists. Philadelphia: Zhamnov, four goals, eight assists; Roenick, four goals, six assists.

Prediction: Khabibulin is a wall that will not crumble. Lightning in seven.