And the final game of the season against a club not based in the Sunshine State is upon us.
Beyond that? A home-and-home with our nearest NHL neighbor to close it all out. Typically, that scenario would have little relevence to the Cats, who year after year have just enough success (or their bottom-feeding Eastern counterparts suck that much more) to duck the draft lottery. With a loss tonight, the Panthers will be guaranteed a mathematical shot at the first overall pick. And do join us Tuesday evening for the lottery festivities (Versus; Live Forum revs up here at 7pm).
Tonight: the Devils aren’t rolling over since winning the Atlantic division is within their grasp but hardly a lock, so playoff positioning is on the collective New Jersey mind. A victory from the road club combined with a Pittsburgh loss (in regulation) to the Isles would effectively sew up the division title for Lou’s Crew, but the first of those possibilities is highly improbable while the second is simply unlikely. In essence, they have something to play for. And we deeply enjoy any visit from our old pal Ilya.
Be sure to check out In Lou We Trust for the visitors’ take. The LBC Live Game Forum steams ashore around 6:30pm.