2013: The NHL season that almost wasn't

Agree with this on all counts. Ride Hiller as long as he's doing OK. No panicky quick hooks, but know Fasth is there just in case.

 

Boston can clinch the Northeast and No. 2 seed with three points in their last two games, or Montreal getting fewer than two against Toronto tonight.

Rangers are the No. 6 seed unless Ottawa gets three points in its last two games, but Rangers stay ahead of Islanders regardless, so can be no worse than No. 7.

St. Louis can get the No. 4 seed with a win over Chicago, leaving San Jose and LA to battle for the No. 5/6 seeds.

 

Great and underrated player

In tonight's news, Leafs have had a brain cramp since the second period. Were tied at 1-1 and now 4-1 at the beginning of the third. Reimer got yanked.---but it was a mercy yank.

 

Terrific clutch performances by Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk (three points each) and Jimmy Howard (shutout) to lift Detroit into the playoffs for the 22nd straight year. That is the longest current streak in major North American pro sports.

This is not the classic Red Wings championship caliber team of years gone by, but they can still turn it on and get it done when the chips are down. The thought here is they beat Anaheim in the first round and give Chicago a real battle in the second round.

 

Whew! The drama is over and the Wild are in the playoffs for the first time since 2008, edging out a very game Columbus team for the No. 8 seed and the right to get annihilated by Chicago. But, hey, it's better than sitting at home waiting for the draft lottery again.

On another note, what do you think of Joel Quinneville's decision to rest his top people against St. Louis on Saturday? My feeling is that Chicago has earned every right to rest whomever they please. If Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews get injured in a game that doesn't mean anything to the Hawks, who is going to be crying then?

Los Angeles and San Jose had every chance to earn home ice, but lost earlier in the week.

 

JR,

Do you still think the Leafs would rather get Montreal instead of Boston in the first round?

 

OK, so down to the final game of this abbreviated regular season (Ottawa at Boston), with playoff teams determined, but seedings on the line. Boston must win to capture Northeast Division title and No. 2 seed in Eastern Conference.

Boston wins in regulation: Bruins are NE champs and No. 2 seed, will face No. 7 seed Islanders in first round. Ottawa is No. 8 seed and will face Pittsburgh.

Boston wins in OT or SO: Bruins are NE champs and No. 2 seed, but Ottawa gets one point to move into seventh and gets a rematch with Boston, while Pittsburgh faces NY Islanders.

Ottawa wins in regulation, overtime or shootout: Senators are No. 7 seed and face Montreal in first round, while Boston gets Toronto and Pittsburgh faces NY Islanders.

 

Got a much better chance against the Habs than the Bruins.

 

Ottawa beats Boston 4-2

Leafs will be in in tough against the Bruins.

Am not optimistic about this

 

Dear JR (the Whalercanes' GM, not our excellent poster by the same handle here),

Too late to make sure a major upgrade at backup goaltender and a few more quality defensemen are high priorities for next season? I had said that Cam Ward was the team's best and most indispensable player long before he went down in Sunrise. A disaster of a season drove the point home.

Enjoy the playoffs, folks ...

 

Tend to agree, although Boston is not playing in top form of late. I'm a little disappointed we won't get to see the Habs-Leafs media circus.

I know both are original six teams in the same division, but I can't even remember the last time Boston and Toronto met in the postseason. Wasn't Tuuka Rask a Leafs' prospect at one point?

 

Instead of the Leafs-Habs circus we will get buried in stories about Phil Kessel vs. Tyler Seguin. Oi.