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It's always interesting watching teams make a run for the last playoff spot. Half a dozen, or so, have had to sweat it out for weeks, playing games that are crucial for playoff survival. Then there are the Torontos, Edmontons ,Floridas, Washingtons, Phoenixs, and Chicagos that recently became long-shots and are dangerous enough to be a threat to get in. But don't be fooled by this last group. Playing games that "matter" every night as compared to just playing the game and hoping for the best, are very different. 99% of the time, these teams end the year with a "nice try", from their fans. It's not good enough.
The Avalanche have a good chance to win their division. They are 3 points back of Minnesota, with 2 games remaining against them. Calgary will definitely have something to say about this, as well, but the Avs should see this as a real test of their ability to win anything in the playoffs.
If they lose both badly, they don't deserve to even be in the playoffs. Settling for a split isn't good enough either. They have alot to benefit from finishing 3rd. They are tied for 1st in the NHL, in home wins (26), with Detroit and Anaheim. That's a strong attribute ...... make it tough to play in your barn. Finishing third would give them home-ice advantage to start the playoffs, and depending how the 1st round shakes out, a good possibility of another one as well. We all know there will be a few upsets in that 1st rnd. These two games will show if the Avs are a"steely" tough team to play against in the clutch, or just a random possibility.
Next Sunday, the sigh of relief you hear from the 6th, 7th ,and 8th place teams in both conferences will be louder than ever before. It has never been so tough to merely "qualify" to win the Stanley Cup. Fifteen teams will have played and won meaningful games for an extended period of time and are ready to go .......... one team has truly "backed their way in" ........... the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa won 13 of their first 14 games to start the season and now have won just 13 of their last 36 !!!!! The odds are, Ottawa is not good enough to finish anywhere near their Cup final appearance last year.
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