Perhaps just as wildly unpredictable as Florida’s 3-2 hang-on victory over the streaking Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday was a similar result played out in Newark that very same night. The New Jersey Devils – easily the hottest club in the league since early January – were placed in an offensive stranglehold via the Ottawa Senators, falling to the visitors 2-1. In essence, this evening’s matchup should see an emphasis on tight checking and defensive responsibility by both clubs.
And now that I’ve typed it, count on a wickedly high-scoring affair. Which I for one would welcome; been way too long since the Panthers scraped out more than 3 goals (February 4th, a 4-3 win over the Devils).
It’s not out of the realm of possibility: left for dead prior to the March 1st trade deadline, Stephen Weiss (2g, 2a) and David Booth (3g, 2a) have picked it up in the five games since, and as they go, so go the Cats.
Ok, hold it down. At this point most interested parties are far more concerned – for some reason – about the Eastern Conference standings and where these two clubs fall within them, so here goes (second number obviously reflecting points):
- 8. BUF 72
- 9. CAR 72
- 10. TOR 68
- 11. ATL 67
- 12. NJD 64
- 13. FLA 63
- 14. NYI 62
- 15. OTT 55/
And there you have it. Live Game Thread at 7pm.