Tonight's Games: Countdown to the Playoffs...or not

So here we are, the last two weekends and last full week of the season.

For some teams, it's time to fight for a job and/or book the tee times, and/or time to figure out what went wrong and what needs to be fixed.

For others, it's time to tune up, lock and load for the bruising battles of the second season, a possible twenty eight games and two more months of balls to the wall hockey.

For a few, the playoffs have already started, as each point wrenched from an opponent's grasp is the difference between going home early and getting a chance to sip the champagne from the chalice emblazoned with the names that are now immortal in hockey history.

For owners, the cash registers will be ringing with the sweet sound of playoff dollars...or not.

For fans, heart-pounding hockey is on the menu. They've got the fridges and booze bins stocked, the finger foods resupplied, normal life put on hold, and the defribulator handy.

Let's party!

The weekend blasts out of the starting blocks with an Original Six slamfest. The Boston Bruisins' have sharpened their teeth as the Bluesuits bop into Boston. Uncle Claude's badass B's are lookin' to unleash a lickin' on Tortsie's Teamsters, who've tumbled and stumbled to the edge of standings oblivion. Will the Manhattan Meatheads butch up, or bow down?

Be-deviled by their own recent reeling, Marty and the Swamp Things will have a plate of extra hot Buffalo wings to swallow. The Sabres are sharp enough to cut you, and Lindy's Lads haven't given up on their dream of the Cup. Will the Jersey Mob get it up, or will Brent's boys need a dose of badabing when Ruff's Rogues dole out the Buff stuff?

The March of the Pingu Posse runs into a gale force as the Mighty Wind keep rockin' in Raleigh. Maurice's Maulers are overhaulin' and they've slotted right in above Crosby's Cronies in the race for preferred playoff place. Look for The Malkinator to turn on the afterburners against Capable Cam and the cagey Canes.

Lights out for Tampa, and the fish sticks have gone cold on Long Island. The kids still want to play. Even if their bosses are already in 'next year' mode, there's much accounting to be done before it's done. And these teams are done...well done. So who gets Hedman, and who gets Tavares?

Where's the pizza? The Flyers will deliver sizzling Philly cheesesteak to La Place Banque Scotia for their dinner with Cory's Crew. They raked the Leaves, and now their orders are to sink the Sens. Will Alfie's Army make a stalwart stand for this, and the last few matches of the home stand?

Gainey's gains while holding the reins have revived les partisans du Canadien. Hold the Prozac, they say, as they once again sing 'Ole, Ole. Ole'. But what does it all mean anyway? An Original Six Saturday night is always good for a fight, and Mr. Wilson is a mean mutha. And the Habs have to win, or they won't get in.

Go West for the best tonight, as the playoff fight is tough and tight...

The battlin' Blues have to shoot down the Stars. That's it, that's all. Handy Andy got the St Louis side playing a playoff tune, but they can't hit ANY sour notes from here on in. On the other side of the rink, Brett Hull is wondering how it could all go so wrong, so fast, in Dallas, where even the owner is now looking like a carpetbagger.

Game of the Night? The number in Nashville is one. That's how close, or how far, they are, from keeping the band playing in the Music City. But Hitch's Horde have the hunger for more as they taste the playoff possibilities for the first time ever. Stevie Wondermason versus Penurious Pekka promises a goalie duel, but the Preds are hurtin'. Don't expect Mr Nash and the Jackets to send a get well card. This one will be played hard.

The Nuclear Nucks are set to grease the skids for MacT's kids. The Oil have slid as fast as the price of sweet light crude, and the critics are clamoring for the Coach's cranium. Owner Daryl Katz has told the scribblers he's sold on Craig...but are the players? Bobby Lu and the VanMen want first place in the Northwest and home ice is nice. Expect no mercy.

California dreamin'? The Sharks have been swimming along this year at the front of the pack, while the Ducks have waddled along at the back. But now the Anaheimers are smokin' quack. And they have no fear of McLellan's Monsters. So Shelley is set for another punchup with Parros. This will be a monster match...think Godzilla Versus Mothra. On skates.

The Late Show with Conan O'Brien welcomes the Yotes and the Kings.

Have a great Hockey Saturday everybody!

:BB:

The Bruins clinch the Eastern title with a 1-0 thrella over Johnny Tortorella...

TimBit shows his boss why his new deal was a good one.

Sean Avery takes a typically slimy penalty in the third. During the TV break, he skates past a kneeling Thomas who is looking the other way and smacks TT in the back of the head with his stick blade. When T2 goes ape, Avery skates away pretending his innocence.

The TV cameras catch it and play it back on the big screen for all--including the referees--to see.

Into the box for the Seanster. Tim gets two too, but the resulting four on four is uneventful.

The Rangers never recover as the Bruins lock it down even harder.

Did we say the playoffs have already started?

The Sabres fail by a single goal and their playoff hopes are dulled by the Devs 3-2.

The Canes blow by the Pens in OT and are now in 4th place...for the time being.

As the Flyers flutter toward the finish line, a deluge of doubters...

And Senscentrists suppose what might have been transposed, if Sensei Cory had been sooner proposed...

davetherave wrote:The Bruins clinch the Eastern title with a 1-0 thrella over Johnny Tortorella...

TimBit shows his boss why his new deal was a good one.

Sean Avery takes a typically slimy penalty in the third. During the TV break, he skates past a kneeling Thomas who is looking the other way and smacks TT in the back of the head with his stick blade. When T2 goes ape, Avery skates away pretending his innocence.

The TV cameras catch it and play it back on the big screen for all--including the referees--to see.

Into the box for the Seanster. Tim gets two too, but the resulting four on four is uneventful.

The Rangers never recover as the Bruins lock it down even harder.

Did we say the playoffs have already started?

Cherry was all over him for that one. But Avery was only trying to rattle him. Didn't work, but I think Cherry was a little over the top assuming how the Rangers players must be feeling.

I was recently reading some more of his "Hockey Stories and other stuff" and he said (almost word for word) "You do whatever you have to do to win". Some of the stuff he writes about is a hell of a lot worse than what Avery did tonight.

wprager wrote:
Cherry was all over him for that one. But Avery was only trying to rattle him. Didn't work, but I think Cherry was a little over the top assuming how the Rangers players must be feeling.

I was recently reading some more of his "Hockey Stories and other stuff" and he said (almost word for word) "You do whatever you have to do to win". Some of the stuff he writes about is a hell of a lot worse than what Avery did tonight.

You know Dandy Don...he and Sean don't share the same fashion sense LOL.

It WAS a dumb penalty though by Gabbo, and ill-timed to boot. I was watching the game and thought, "There he goes again..."

Tortorella probably tore him a new one...

:geek:

Holy Hockey, Batman!

The Stars just bumped off the Blues in OT...but the LouieLouies get a precious point.

Heartstopping finish in the Music City.

Rinne and Mason were massive.

Watched the last five of regulation, OT and the SO...the Jackets had just tied it when Tyutin gets 4 for an unintentional high stick, which CBJ has to kill in the OT and do...

Ville Koistinen, who had asked to traded earlier in the year, is the unlikely hero with the shootout winner.

The Ducks, Preds and Blues are now tied for the last two spots in the West...

...pending the outcome of Anaheim's Shark hunt.

Meanwhile, the Oil are trying to squeeze another drop of playoff hope out of their game with the Nucklers.

Have a great night everyone!

OK...one of the things about being a hockey junkie is just when you think you've had enough...there's another game on that just rivets you.

Oilers-Canucks was Total Armageddon. These guys fought for every millimetre of ice, for every puck, every shot, every goal. Five to three for the Oil, 43 shots stopped by Rollie, an awesome goal by Sam Gagner forcing a turnover in his own end and rushing up the ice through two Nuck d-men and deking BobbyLu out of his Underarmour. Warriors, every single effin one of 'em. On both teams. Unreal.

The Oil still have a gusher left...maybe.

Meanwhile, the Ducks and the Sharks tore up the ice in the Tank with a game that went back and forth until the Teemunator and Bobby Ryan broke it open with two sweet scores. The Ducks have won nine of ten and are now right behind the Jackets. Bob Murray has totally remade his team by injecting young guys who are desperate to win and get the vets to play over their heads. Firebreathing hockey.

The Ducks are dangerous.

Wow. And the party's just starting... :%%:

Tearing it up again today, the teams go at each other hammer-and-tongs. playoff beards well under way, wearing lucky socks and godknowswhatother unwashed garments, kissing their sticks, and putting on their left skate before their right one among other rituals to bring them maximum Karma as the playoff clock ticks...

Let's begin the festivities with the Wild Things and Wings jousting at the Joe. Jeezuz, the Minny Minnows have a game in hand over the rest of the bubble band, but they need the two points more, eh, being three away from a playoff olé. And Big Red ain't gonna roll over and play dead.

OK, the Caps are in like Flynn but they still love to win. The Thrash, though, ain't gonna give 'em any skin. Ilya and Ovie are gonna rock the joint mano a mano as they battle for each point. And is Theo-A-Go-Go finally the go-to guy in Washington?

Bird's the word in Sunrise as the Panthers are poised to pluck the Pens. They have to be, with the playoffs a whisker away. It's a golden game in hand, and no tomorrow for the Cats, who've played like kitty litter of late. But Sid N The Kidz will want to keep those Pingus marchin' on.

The feathers'll fly in O-Hi as the hot Hawks stick their beaks into the mouth of the cannon, looking to spike the Jackets' artillery. Chicago's chance for the dance is decided, but Hitch's Homeboys still have hungry hockey teams hot on their heels. It'll be run and gun in this duel 'tween The Bulin Wall and The Magnificent Mase.

Fresh out of the Tank, the Anaheimers will want to peck out another two points as they hunt the Sharks again, back at their shack for the second half of their home and home. That's some spicy Duck, with nine wins in their last ten. A chance to waddle past Columbus into fifth if they can clamp down those Jaws.

The Nuckleheads slipped on a slick Oilers team last night, but they won't be snowed under by the Avalanche as the Van Clan get back home. Or will they?

It's the best game you can name, it's the good ole hockey game...cue Stompin' Tom!

:##:

Some interesting games today. The Panthers can move into a tie for 8th in the East with the Rangers but the Rangers will get the edge due to # of wins.

The 'Nucks should be all over Colorado after last night's loss to the Oil. They'll be hungry for a thrashing.

Columbus/Chicago should also be a good one to watch with Columbus looking to solidify a post season spot.

The Wings just pushed the Wild closer to the exit...Marian Hossa scored from beautiful passes by Zetterberg and Datsyuk with under two minutes left after Minny had held them to 2-all. Ouch.

Ovechkin now trails Malkin by only 2 points in the Art Ross race with two games in hand.

Panthers are ALIVE.

The Blackhawks and Bluejackets played a perfect game this evening.

Khabibulin and Mason gave viewers a playoff quality goaltending duel as their teams battled to a scoreless finish, decided by a fleeting moment and a beautiful breakaway goal by Kris Versteeg.

So the Hawks solidify their hold on home ice, while the Jackets move one step closer to their maiden playoff voyage.

:%%: