So the march to the playoffs begins tonight! I know I've been beating this like a dead horse, resuscitating said horse, and beating it to death again, but the standings are the tightest I've ever seen! Check out the Eastern Conference as it is today:

1. Buffalo 70 points
2. New Jersey 63 points
3. Atlanta62 points
4. Montreal 59 points
5. Ottawa 58 points
6. Carolina 56 points
7. Tampa Bay 54 points
8. Pittsburgh 50 points

9. NY Rangers 50 points
10. Toronto 50 points
11. Boston 48 points
12. NY Islanders 48 points
13. Washington 47 points
14. Florida 46 points
15. Philadelphia 27 points

4 points! 4! That's it! That's all that separates 7 teams fighting for the final spot in the playoffs! Carolina, and Tampa Bay don't exactly have a stranglehold on their positions either. I keep hearing that the Eastern Conference will most likely take the Stanley Cup because it will be an easier route to the finals than in the West. I'm not so sure I subscribe to that theory, as the battle is really going to begin today, and continue on into June. At this point, I would say the Sabres and Devils are locks, and the Atlanta Thrashers should have little difficulty wrapping up their first ever franchise playoff berth (unless they completely collapse), but as far the rest of the East, I think it's anyone's game. Now let's look at the West:

1. Nashville 71 points
2. Anaheim 68 points
3. Vancouver 56 points
4. Detroit 65 points
5. San Jose 64 points
6. Dallas 59 points
7. Calgary 56 points
8. Minnesota 54 points

9. Colorado 51 points
10. Edmonton 50 points
11. Phoenix 46 points
12. St. Louis 46 points
13. Columbus 41 points
14. Chicago 41 points
15. Los Angeles 38 points

The great thing about the West is that, every team, even Los Angeles has a shot. If you remember a few weeks ago it was St. Louis and Columbus who were at the bottom, but they have strung a few wins together and begun to climb. While the Kings do have a big challenge ahead of them, the 16 points they need to make up to get to the playoffs is not unattainable. Perhaps the signing of veteran keeper Sean Burke will help give them the playoff push they need? Eh. After Los Angeles the remaining teams fighting for the last spot in the West are separated by 13 points. A touch more open than the East, but still very close. Phoenix is making a huge push, and in the last month have made up so much ground that I think they are going to get their bid to the post season. How great is Yannic Perreault? This guy was signed a month after the season started and has helped the Yotes back into it. The Hockey News actually suggested he should be nominated for the HART if the Yotes do make the playoffs. I don't disagree at all.

As for tonight's matches, there are couple of note.
New Jersey at Tampa Bay 8:00 PM

Tampa Bay has been one of the few teams able to solve the Devils on their recent path of destruction, however the Devils are like terminators and seem to adapt and be able to correct their problems so they can take out their opponents the next time they meet. Damn, that was a long sentence.

Detroit at St. Louis 8:00 PM

The Red Wings will most likely face off against their old goalie Manny Legace in St. Louis tonight. This game is one of those bench test games for the Blues. They are moving up in the standings, but to continue to do so they have to prove themselves against juggernauts like Detroit.

Pittsburgh at Dallas 8:30 PM

I guess Sidney is still chilling waiting for the Penguins to arrive? The Penguins are in the playoffs right now, holding the 8th and final spot in the East. It will be great to see how they fare against one of the better teams in the West, and against the Dallas Stars Marty Turco.

San Jose at Edmonton 9:00 PM

This just looks like a good matchup to me. The Sharks and Oilers are similiar in many ways, and most importantly, Chicken Parm will be doing the broadcast.

I was thinking a bit about the New York Rangers and Peter Forsberg rumors that were flying around earlier in the week and came up with a notion of my own. The Rangers desperately want to find a center for winger Brendan Shanahan, something they have been unable to do all season as he has multiple pivots. So here is what I propose. Rather than give up prospects, picks or anything frankly for a player who might be so damaged he may never play one game for you, why not just sign unrestricted free agent Jason Allison? I know he hasn't played all season, but you'd certainly be able to get him signed comfortably under the cap, and the guy has always been a playmaking center, particularly on the power play. What have you got to lose? I think it would be a great fit. Anyway, enjoy the games my friends!

Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh