Welcome to another edition of the Hockeybuzz hotstove.
With the Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers battling it out for the final Wild Card spot in the East, the hotstove predicts which team will come out on top when all is said and done.
Todd Cordell I predicted the Sens would make the playoffs when they were five back of Boston, and I'm certainly not going to change my mind now.
The Bruins haven't been playing great hockey of late - they've won five of 10 - and they may have just lost Dougie Hamilton, who has been excellent for them this season, so that certainly hurts their chances. David Krejci's return will help, but I don't see them making it.
I think Florida could make a good push, but I ultimately see them finishing on the outside looking in.
Andrew Hammond has come back down to earth a little bit, and the Sens continue to win. Why? They're getting scoring all throughout their lineup, and their possession numbers have been on the way up since Dave Cameron took over.
I like the Sens to hold onto the playoff spot they miraculously just got themselves into.
James Tanner I don't know who will actually make it, but I know I want the Senators. One problem is that they almost certainly have to cool off at some point, meaning that Boston probably has the advantage.
A second problem is that Boston is about to get a shot in the arm when Krejci comes back. That's a pretty significant add-on for the late season.
Another factor is the Capitals. Everyone acts like they're a shoe-in, but if you look at the standings, Ottawa has two games in hand and if they win them both, they'd only be a single point back of the Capitals.
There's also still 11 games, so even Detroit could stumble - if it was baseball, the Sens would only be three games back.
Overall though, My prediction is that the Senators do make it because why would you predict anything other than what you're cheering for? It's a nice story, it'd be great if it had a nice ending.
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