Paul McCann: 3 days - 2 games to decide the Central

It doesn't really matter who the Preds play. The Jets are like the Preds this year, not that great. The Blues have been on a roll, but nothing is guaranteed. All three of these teams could get hot or flame out. Should make for an interesting first couple of rounds though.

Who they play matters a lot if they win the division and manage to avoid both St. Louis and Winnipeg in the first round. Dallas wouldn't be an easy series either by any stretch, but considering how the Preds have looked against the other two this year, the preferred option is obvious. When they got crushed by Winnipeg a couple of weeks ago, I thought any hope for stealing the division ended right there. With the way this season has gone, it's amazing to think the Preds are in this position with only two games to go... Just win your last two, and at the very least you get home ice in the first found, and if Winnipeg loses a point somewhere, you get the division. It's not inconceivable, Winnipeg has almost seemed to be trying to gift us (or St. Louis) the division for weeks now, but the Preds don't really seem to want it either.

Normally, I'd expect an angry Jets team to come out and annihilate anyone they'd play tonight, but with Colorado still fighting for that last playoff spot I'm not so sure. It's going to be frustration vs. desperation tonight. Let's hope the Jets are a little too wound up tonight... The Preds are *almost* in the driver's seat right now... The next two games won't be easy, but if they can't beat Vancouver and Chicago to close out the season, then they kind of deserve whatever they get come playoff time.

Questioning the decision to start Jake Allen means you no almost nothing about the St. Louis Blues. Jake Allen hasn't started a home game since January 8th, because his home numbers are horrendous. Allen has an save % of 878 and a GAA of 3.65. His road save % is 924 and his GAA is 2.26. For whatever reason, he has just been much better on the road. Binnington is the number one right now and the team wanted him for the remaining home games.

I don't think it matters. The Preds have issues, so do the other teams. I think it's pretty even whoever the opponent turns out to be. I doubt very seriously the conference champ comes from this division.