We’re really getting down to the nitty gritty now. By next Saturday we will know all we need to know about our playoff position/ possible first round opponent. Our win last night, courtesy of Jaroslav Halak, has elevated us into 6th place with a two point lead on Boston and Philadelphia with Boston holding 1 game in hand. The Bruins face the Laffs tonight, and then Washington on Monday. How they fare in those two matches will tell us much of what we need to know. The all-of-a-sudden resurgent 9th place Rangers are making a late push with 80 points after 77 games, although we are relatively safe from them with a four point cushion and only 4 games left. The could make it exciting for the Flyers however who hold a 2 point advantage with an extra game played.

If the Playoffs were to start today we would meet the New Jersey Devils in the first round. Is that a good thing? Who knows. All you can do as a hockey team in our position is try to enter the playoffs on a good streak. That starts tonight. Buffalo is trying to lock up their division title. Here is hoping that we somehow can muster a good third period, if only because its been a while.

Go Habs Go!!!

Sometimes when I’m writing these game-blogs I struggle not to re-hash the same tired lines. Its hard over the course of an 82 game season not to start repeating yourself. I’d love to know how many times over the course of this season alone that I’ve written the words: Huge, Critical, Crucial, must-win, log-jam etc. It seems Montreal has been in perpetual elimination mode for all but a few games this year. It was two consecutive losses to the Flyers that (in many people’s opinion) iced the Canadiens playoff picture. The Habs rebounded from the Olympic break and went on a tear to make everyone rescind their bleak prognosis. Now, after another tough stretch of losses, we meet the Flyers again. Again, our playoffs seemingly hang in the balance. I wont do it though. I wont call this game what every other blogger out there will. Because we have seen time and time again that while our losses torment us violently as fans, there is always a next game. We’re running out of next games, but tonight is not a one-and-done scenario.  Atlanta trails us by two points, with one more game played. They would have to make up 3 more points on us over their last 4 games, and for that reason I think that the pressure is on THEM, and not us as far as the playoffs are concerned. As I’ve eluded to here over the past few weeks, I believe it is far more critical to take winning momentum into the playoffs than to gain a favorable opponent. My reasoning, is that there is NO favorable opponent at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

Tonight, the Habs have to focus on only one task. Get some bodies going to the net, and shoot the puck. Over the past few games we have tried and failed to capitalize on the ‘perfect’ goal to no avail, while bounces, redirections, own goals and fugly ones beat us. We’ve hand-cuffed ourselves, and only movement, and bodies in the ‘Staal’ area will release us.

Go Habs Go!!