Friday, April 6, 2007

4-6-07 NHL Scoreboard/ Looking to Tomorrow


Talk about laying an egg! In a game the Lightning needed if they wanted to win the Southeast against the Florida Panthers, who are heading to the golf courses next week, they lost 7 to 2. That's right 7-2! It wasn't even that close, 1 minute into the third the Panthers scored to give them a 7-0 lead. Tampa scored two 3rd period goals to make it "close". Meanwhile Atlanta beat Carolina 4-1 clinching the Southeast and the third seed. Back to Tampa however they have to be the worst team going into playoffs. Their goaltending is terrible. I have no clue what Jay Feaster was doing giving Brad Richards a max contracted as a restricted FA when it was clear they needed a top goalie. Now they are going into the playoffs with 2 backup goalies and no starters. I know I said earlier that I thought the Thrashers defense would doom them and they would be one and done but I take that back. The lightning will be the one a done team on the off chance the two meet in round 1. The Lightning will probably get the 7th seed and play the Devils (although it is possible they could get the 6th) so let's hope the Devils penchant for making backup goalies look like Vezina winners doesn't show up in the playoffs.

Moving on to tomorrow. Saturday is probably the biggest day in the NHL as all or most of the playoff spots and seeds will be determined. The headline game is Montreal at Toronto where the winner takes all (sort of)on Hockey Night in Canada. Toronto better be aware of the playoff scenarios going in because if the game is tied late in the third they will need to pull their goalie. If the game goes to overtime Montreal will go to the playoffs. If Toronto wins in regulation they would need Islanders to lose Saturday against Philly or Sunday against the Devils. The Islanders need to win both and have Toronto win Saturday night (in regulation or OT) to get in. Personally nothing would be funnier than the Leafs forgetting they would need to pull the goalie and end up not getting in because the game went to Overtime.

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