TORONTO (Apr. 7) – The Maple Leafs and their fans are in an emotional conundrum for tonight’s penultimate regular-season game against the New York Rangers.

With nothing to play for down the stretch, once again, many hopes in this region have centered on the hollow ambition of trying to ruin Montreal’s playoff chances. In fact, Leafs’ coach Ron Wilson talked openly yesterday about his desire to do exactly that in the club’s final game, Saturday, at the Bell Centre. Tragically for Leaf supporters, the weekend encounter could become irrelevant by the time they go to bed tonight. If the Leafs defeat New York at Madison Square Garden – in regulation or extra time – they will secure a post-season berth for their arch rivals. That’s right… even if the Rangers push tonight’s game to overtime or a shootout – and lose – they will only be able to match the Canadiens’ 87-point total in their final two starts. And, Montreal has three more wins than New York, which is the first tie-breaker. So, a Leafs victory at the Garden puts the Canadiens in the playoffs.

Talk about another inglorious slap.

The alternative isn’t particularly appealing, either, for fans of the hockey club. If the Leafs lose in regulation time tonight, the Canadiens may still have to beat Carolina on Thursday – or Toronto on Saturday – to clinch a place in the Stanley Cup tournament. But, a regulation defeat in New York guarantees Toronto 29th spot in the NHL overall standings… and a 52% chance that Boston will get the number-one pick at the draft in Los Angeles. The Leafs (72 points) can catch Florida and Tampa Bay (74 points) tonight, but the Panthers and Lightning square off on Sunday at the BankAtlantic Center. And, both teams have two more victories than the Blue & White. So, any form of loss tonight would virtually end the Leafs’ “Drive For 28th”.

By the way… how many of you “oldsters” out there were freezing your buns off like I was at Exhibition Stadium 33 years ago, when the Toronto Blue Jays played their first-ever baseball game? Apr. 7, 1977 was a big sports day in our town. After the ballgame, the Leafs hosted Pittsburgh in Game 2 of their best-of-three preliminary playoff round at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Penguins won to even the series, but Darryl Sittler and Lanny McDonald put on a show in a 5-2 Toronto victory at Civic Arena two nights later, and the Leafs advanced to play Philadelphia in the quarterfinals.

Thirty-three years!! Somehow, it just rolls off the tongue.

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