Give me a minute – I am trying not to have a heart attack…
Dave Andreychuk notched #20 tonight, giving him 19 seasons of 20 goals or more — nice job right? The goal was a game-tying goal in the final seconds of regulation — so it was absolutely huge…
Unfortunately it didn’t hold up and the Lightning were swept by the Senators for the season after Ottawa scored in overtime – a thrilling game all the same and one that the NHL would be smart to highlight as one of the years best (even though there were plenty of missed calls all over again).
The Lightning now have 104 points with 80 games played. They face no more playoff competition as the season finishes against Florida and then Atlanta.
With 104 points and a game in hand over Philadelphia, the Lightning are guaranteed no lower than the #2 seed in the playoffs. That may very well be a good thing with the Boston Bruins in the best position for a run at the #1 seed. With 2 games in hand, the Bruins have 99 points with two games vs. no playoff teams to come (Carolina and the flailing Washington Capitals) before finishing the season with a two game set against the Devils.
The Devils are going to be no pushover for the B’s — the Devils have a very good chance of winning the Atlantic division as they sit only 2 points behind the Flyers — and trying to take the #3 seed in the East.
The Buffalo Sabres are another story — they are on the bubble for the playoffs with 3 games left (which they must win all of and see the Islanders fall two out of three times before the end of the season to gain the #8 seed in the East. The Isles have Montreal, Carolina and then Philadelphia to close out the season while the Sabres have the Rags, Toronto and Les Habs to close the season out.
And don’t even get me started on the West…
“Smashville” finds itself out of the playoffs as of this moment – but probably only for another 24 hours. They face the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow. Edmonton would be the team bumped if the Predators win and part of me is going for the Oilers to make the playoffs (all six Canadian teams playoff bound? Holy smokes)… but then again, another part of me wants Nashville to make it and give a big middle-finger salute to traditionalists who hark that the Music city shouldn’t have hockey.
