The playoff races get more intriguing by the second, and that won't change tonight, but there's plenty of other things to keep an eye on. Panelists are constantly prognosticating, which is nice. Unfortunately, they're often incorrect - consider the fact that the people on television last night mulling over whether or not Montreal will make the playoffs are the very same people that all but guaranteed they would be in the Stanley Cup Final this June. But hey, everybody likes predictions, so I'll make some too, using a systematically appointed color scheme.
P.S. - I don't assume responsibility for any wagers placed in response to this blog.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning are in Washington.
What people think will happen: If the media has there way, the Lightning players will be seeking retribution for Alex Ovechkin's rendition of "Feelin' Hot." People out there, Don Cherry included, believe that somebody on Tampa will physically punish the Russian sniper.
What WILL happen: Ovechkin will score two goals, celebrate emphatically, and absolutely crunch at least three Lightning players into the boards over the course of the game.
- The Ducks and Oilers are battling for the final playoff position in the West.
What people think will happen: Well, in Edmonton they hope Dwayne Roloson will somehow manage to lead them to the playoffs and that it will all begin with a win tonight.
What WILL happen: Edmonton will lose 4-2 to the Ducks, and fail to re-enter the top eight for the remainder of the season. St. Louis is too hot right now. So is Marian Gaborik.
- The Buffalo Sabres welcome back Ryan Miller.
In this case, I don't have any qualms with what the people are thinking - Miller stands on his head, and the Sabres start to get on a roll. Watch out Montreal.
- And finally, a note on the improving observation skills of the average Canadian hockey fan.
Today's TSN poll asks who is having the better season, Sidney Crosby or Zach Parise. At this point in time, Parise leads with 71.6% of the votes, meaning only 28.4% of the voting population is wrong. It's refreshing to see a much smaller portion of the NHL's fan base is drinking Gary Bettman's marketing Kool-Aid.
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