Great playoff race in the East

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 1:38 am

Atlanta beats Carolina and Florida is trashing the Lightning right now. Call me crazy but I think the Thrashers have the Southeast won barring a miracle from Tampa Bay. The Lightning can still get the #6 seed with a win in their finale and a loss by the Rangers.

Of the three division winners...clearly the team you want to face in the first round is Atlanta because of their inexperience in the postseason, their poor defense and inconsistent goaltending by Lehtonen. I would favor the Rangers if they take the #6 seed and face Atlanta in the first round. Lundqvist is playing out of his mind and the Rangers playing great as a team at the right time. This is a completely different Rangers team going into the playoffs than what they were last year.

Cross Traffic · Post by **Cross Traffic** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:59 am

Toronto/Montreal with a playoff spot on the line...doesn't get any better than tomorrow's marquee HNIC game.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:01 pm

Today is going to be awesome...12 of the 14 games have some impact (in varying degrees) on playoff positioning. Center Ice will be on all day today for sure.

1:00 PM: Sabres @ Capitals.....Sabres can win the Presidents' Trophy with a single point in either of their last two games.
1:00 PM: Islanders @ Flyers.....Islanders need at least a point to stay in the hunt for the last playoff spot in the East with another game tomorrow
1:00 PM: Blackhawks @ Red Wings.....Red Wings need a point and two Sabres losses will get them the Presidents' Trophy
4:00 PM: Canucks @ Sharks.....Sharks get win Pacific with a win and a Ducks loss, a win for the Canucks locks up the Northwest
7:00 PM: Senators @ Bruins.....Senators win and they have home ice against the Penguins in the first round
7:00 PM: Canadiens @ Maple Leafs.....The ultimate scenario, win or go home; the Leafs have to win in regulation to eliminate the Canadiens but have to worry about what the Islanders do; Canadiens win and they're in
7:00 PM: Lightning @ Thrashers.....It could be a first round matchup if the Lightning win and Rangers lose
7:00 PM: Ducks @ Blue Jackets.....A single point by the Ducks or a Sharks loss gives them the Pacific and the #2 seed in the West
7:30 PM: Rangers @ Penguins.....Penguins are trying to get home ice in the first round and the Rangers want to get the #6 seed and play the Thrashers in the first round
8:00 PM: Blues @ Wild.....If the Canucks lose, the Wild could win the division and get the #3 seed with a win
9:00 PM: Predators @ Avalanche.....Avalanche must win to stay alive for the last playoff spot in the West while the Predators winning could help secure home ice in the 4-5 series
10:00 PM: Oilers @ Flames.....A Flames win clinches a spot or an Avalanche loss; have to believe they don't want Sunday's game with the Avalanche to matter

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 8:00 pm

Early returns from today...
*Buffalo locks up #1 overall (Presidents' Trophy) and home ice throughout the playoffs with a shutout win in Washington.
*The Red Wings wrap up their season with a resounding 7-2 over the Blackhawks; they enter the playoffs as the West #1 and #2 team overall.
*Islanders stay alive with a 4-2 win in Philadelphia; they'll all be Leafs fans tonight.

Shoalzie · Post by **Shoalzie** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 1:41 pm

Current situation...
*The West is set: #1 Detroit vs. #8 Calgary, #2 Anaheim vs. #7 Minnesota, #3 Vancouver vs. #6 Dallas, #4 Nashville vs. #5 San Jose
*3 of 4 series in the East are determined: #2 New Jersey vs. #7 Tampa Bay, #3 Atlanta vs. #6 N.Y. Rangers, #4 Ottawa vs. #5 Pittsburgh
*Islanders win today, they'll face the Sabres in the first round. A loss of any kind, the Leafs make the playoffs.

Mike the Lab Rat · Post by **Mike the Lab Rat** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 2:15 pm

Yeah, I never post here, but what the hell...

Props to the Sabres for snagging the President's Cup. Despite living in western NY for almost 25 years, I never switched my team allegiance to them from the Islanders (I'm originally from downstate NY and have been an Isles fan since they were founded). Even though I'm not a fan of their team, I consider them a class organization (some of their fans, on the other hand...).

I'm obviously pulling for the Islanders to make it into the playoffs, even though I know in my heart that the Sabres will kick their asses.

Ah well, no matter how the season goes this year, he memory of four Stanley Cups keeps things from getting too bitter.

AcidQueen · Post by **AcidQueen** » Sun Apr 08, 2007 2:16 pm

Mike the Lab Rat wrote:Even though I'm not a fan of their team, I consider them a class organization (all but three of their fans, on the other hand...)

FTFY.