This morning there are an army of happy fans in Buffalo, New York (and one semi-pleased young lady in Cincinatti, whose support of the playoff beard must continue for at least one more round) as their beloved Sabres advanced to the next round of the playoffs yesterday.

The Sabres defeated the Islander (staved if you will) 4-3 and closed out the series 4-1. The Islanders were once again in the game (aside from Game 1, which the Sabres dominated, the Islanders had an opportunity to win every game) and gave Buffalo quite a scare in the final period last night as they attempted to rally from 3 goals down. The Sabres hung on despite blowing a 4-1 lead, and goaltender Ryan Miller made some key saves late (except for 2) to conclude the series. Sabres forward Maxim Afinogenov scored the game winner and added a helper. The Sabres now wait to find out if they will face the Tampa Bay Lightning, or the New York Rangers.

For the Islanders, this season ends in dissappointment, but there are several positives. The team rallied at the end of the season to make the playoffs after everyone had written them off. Goaltender Rick DiPietro came into his own this season (can I use the word season more often? season, season!), and took a big step toward becoming an elite level keeper. Ted Nolan. Great to have him back in the game and I think he deserves Jack Adams consideration for his role in turning this club around. The Islanders now have an identity with him. Garth Snow, I laughed at you last summer, and I apologize for it. You have proved me wrong sir, as you have done a spectacular job as the GM of the Islanders. Your off season homework? Sign Jason Blake, and Ryan Smyth. You pull that off, and you can consider yourself 'the man'.

Quick Shave:
First off, allow me to give props to Tampa Bay Lightning Coach John Tortorella for his magnificent playoff beard (that beautiful chin mane was so thick I thought I actually saw him hand Wesley Snipes some anti-vampire weapons during the second period). But even Sweet T's beard couldn't stop the power of Brodeur. Unfortunately for the Lightning, the real Marty has arrived. The New Jersey Devils goaltender made 31 saves last night to shutout (the 22nd of his post season career, 1 behind Patrick Roy apparently) the Lightning 3-0, and take a 3-2 series lead. This game was colorful, especially at the end which included a good old fashioned donnybrook between Andre Roy and Mike Rupp, and another between Nolan Pratt and Jamie 'I'd like to buy a vowel' Langenbrunner. There was also a shouting match between the bearded one, Coach Tortorella and the pristinely shaven Devils assistant coach John MacLean across the benches. Looks like the Captain's Curse is taking hold in the West. Two teams I picked to win in the Western Conference have now been summarily executed. The Minnesota Wild who were ousted Thursday night, were joined by another Bosh favorite last night, the Nashville Predators. The Predators lost 3-2 last night to the San Jose Sharks and saw their playoffs go up in smoke. This is a huge let down (on level with the Thrashers) for the Predators who re-tooled for the post season, by adding J. P. Dumont, Jason Arnott over the summer, and picking up Peter Forsberg prior to the trade deadline (for quite a ransome, picks, players, beers, etc.). On a positive note, the Predators do look like they have tremendous support in Nashville as the packed stadium certainly showcased. I think once they translate their regular season success to the playoffs, they will strengthen the foundation for a solid fan base.

Game of the Night:
Calgary at Detroit 3:00 PM
Vancouver at Dallas 8:00 PM

Come on guys! Make Bosh proud. I wish there were some more games on, but sometimes quality over quantity is a good thing. Can Calgary continue their great play, or will they suck eggs on the road again? Turco! Luongo! Dallas! Vancouver! Cats and Dogs living together! Mass Hysteria! Enjoy the games!

Your friend on ice,
Captain Bosh