It has been a wild start to the NHL playoffs. I've had a chance to see a few of the matchups up close, and here's what I've been seeing.

Flying in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Flyers looks like a confident, well-balanced team, one that has a much different look and feel from how they were earlier this season and in the last two playoff years. Craig Ramsay deserves a lot of credit. The interim head coach in Roger Neilson's absence has installed a tremendous amount of confidence.

	Keith Primeau and the Flyers have played well without Eric Lindros.

Ramsay likes to roll four lines as opposed to Neilson, who tends to shorten his bench quickly and go with the more experienced players. Ramsay has faith in the young players in his lineup -- forwards Simon Gagne and Peter White and defensemen Andy Delmore and Mark Eaton -- not to mention goalie Brian Boucher, and the confidence level has been contagious, from Ramsay on down. He uses 20 players, and there are 20 hearts beating as one. Special teams is another thing; Ramsay has specific players to kill penalties. But other than that, everybody has bought into his 5-on-5 approach. Ramsay goes with 30-40-second shifts, and if one player on a line changes, everybody changes. That keeps the tempo and the hard work up.

As an example, Ramsay said John LeClair has scored big goals in two of the three games already, but he also made two great defensive plays on one shift. He was equally good defensively throughout the game, just like everyone else was.

Without Eric Lindros in the lineup, everyone is buying into what Ramsay is trying to do. When a star player is removed from the lineup, it's bound to change the chemistry of any team. But the Flyers have really pulled together.

Special teams is winning the series for the Flyers. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said Monday that his team won last year with special teams, but this year it's losing it for them. Buffalo needs to get some offense going. The coaching staff has given the players some answers, but I sense doubt both on the ice and in their eyes about how they could come back from a three-game deficit. They can, but the Sabres are badly in need of momentum and confidence.

Ruff said the Sabres have spent too much time trying to pound the Flyers. Meanwhile, the Flyers are taking the hits, making the plays, getting out of the zone and playing with courage. The Sabres need more focus on trying to make plays, but the pressure is on their skill players to make plays.

Red Wings show some versatility
The goals were going into the net thick and fast in that wacky 8-5 game last weekend, but the Red Wings showed they could win by scoring a lot of goals. Every team likes to know that they are capable of an offensive burst in the playoffs. The Red Wings are known for their defense, but they come away from the game knowing they can win any type of game.

The Wings have tremendous confidence in their power play and have the two best units in the league; everyone they put on the ice is creative and productive. We always say goaltending and special teams are keys come playoff time, and the Wings are at the top of the list in both categories.

Detroit is also getting quality play from their third and fourth lines. Kris Draper's line has been phenomenal. And Darren McCarty has been a Tasmanian Devil on the ice. He is going 100 mph and just destroying people. He is pounding players, not just finishing a check. His energy level has been contagious from the very first game. He even took some penalties in Game 1, and Scotty Bowman just let him go. McCarty's energy has transferred to the rest of the team.

Stars can really stifle an opponent
Dallas was really impressive in the first two games. The Stars stifled and stymied Edmonton, and the Oilers never really got their speed game established. The Stars did it pretty much the same way they have done it all season, and certainly since the end of November. They just methodically go about their business, especially with their defensive game. The results have been interesting considering the new players they have added this season. Last year's older, more experienced team was dismantled in the offseason, and they had to bring in new faces. But the newcomers got with Ken Hitchcock's program quickly.

	Weight

Obviously, things changed in Game 3 because Edmonton finally started playing its game. The Oilers had to score some goals, and they did -- three courtesy of Doug Weight. At the end of the season, Weight was a major reason why the Oilers got into the playoffs. When the games were big, he was outstanding. Weight is definitely the key for the Oilers. I think you will see Dallas really focus on Weight in Game 4 and try to stifle him as they did in the first two games. But he is the heartbeat of that Edmonton team.

Skill, speed are killer for Penguins
The Penguins are such a dangerous team and have been the last couple of years because they have a great skill level. When they are full of confidence, as they are now, the Penguins are as tough to handle as any team in the league. They seem to have the puck all the time and can scare teams because they keep coming at you.

Jaromir Jagr has been typically excellent. Every player he passes the puck to is filled with confidence. Right now it's Jan Hrdina. Teams don't focus on Hrdina, but his play has shown what the possibilities are for that team. The Penguins just have a good feel about themselves.

Ron Tugnutt has made a big difference because he is a great team player on the ice and in the locker room. They are a much more confident team since the trade deadline and are just coming together at the right time.

The Capitals seem to have lost all the great confidence and flow they had for most of the season. Teams never go through the playoffs unscathed. It's all about how a team is able to handle adversity. Washington is struggling with handling its current situation and better get its game back in a hurry.

Brian Engblom is a color commentator and analyst for ESPN's NHL coverage. He played 11 seasons in the NHL.