Wednesday Caterwaul: Florida Panthers Open Forum

"If we play our best nobody can beat us."

So says ever-modest New Jersey forward Ilya Kovalchuk, via the New York Post. Whatever; that's what everyone is just short of contractually required to spout at this time of year. The prevailing issue is how Florida plans to go about shutting down his magnificent offense without the use of hokey religions and ancient weapons.

The practices and mindgames roll on for another two days as the Panthers and Devils gear up for their clash Friday evening, while the actual NHL postseason kicks off tonight with three matches:

• (5) PHI at (4) PIT, 7:30 p.m. (NBC-SN)
• (5) DET at (4) NSH, 8 (CNBC)
• (8) LA at (1) VAN, 10:30 (NBC-SN)

Reminder: stay tuned to our buds at In Lou We Trust, as they continue pumping out top-notch content in the buildup to our approaching series.