At this point in the season, it is impossible to under-emphasize the importance of the games played each night. Tonight will be an especially interested evening, as teams battling for bottom end playoff positions are going head-to-head. A couple of Canadian teams will be hoping that some that old Irish luck rubs off on them.
In the West, the 10th place St. Louis Blues will be facing the 9th place Edmonton Oilers. Either team can jump into a playoff spot with a win. In the East exists an even more intriguing match. The Canadiens and Rangers, who are tied with 80 points each, will do battle in Montreal. Anything can happen - that's why they play the games, but I wouldn't be surprised if a loss tonight marked the beginning of the end, of this season anyway, for either team. At this point though, I think the two points are more important to the Habs if they want to avoid early tee off times.
Beyond the many playoff battles to take in, there are a few other interesting story lines to keep an eye on.
First and foremost, Martin Brodeur will be looking for his record setting 552nd win against the Blackhawks. In a nice coincidence, his longtime friend and teammate, Patrik Elias, can take over the Devils' all-time scoring lead with just a point. He currently sits at 701. Throughout his career, Brodeur has received endless praise, all of it deserved. Elias, has received much less than his play has warranted over his seasons in the swamp. It would be fitting for both of them to celebrate together tonight. I'll be watching, I hope you will be too.
Alex Ovechkin is in Florida looking for his 50th goal of the season. Whether he scores it tonight or not, it is inevitable that he will score it, ultimately becoming the first member of the Capitals organization to score 50 or more goals in three or more seasons. An interesting piece of trivia to know, considering Peter Bondra, one of the most prolific scorers during the 90's, lit the lamp with tremendous frequency for the very same team.
And finally, the Leafs and Lightning meet again, following a heated battle last week that saw Ron Wilson ejected.
Enjoy the evening, there's some great hockey to be played.
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