The final choke… put off for another day.

Here are the standings as they exist right now:

Rank   Atlantic Division      GP    W    L    OTL    SOL    PTS
3        Worcester Sharks     78    40    27    3         8    91   
4        Providence Bruins     78    42    30    2         4    90   
5        Lowell Devils            78    38    29    5         6    87   

Worcester and Providence both currently have a magic number of one.  (note, Providence’s magic number is the same as Worcesters despite their having fewer total points because if the season ends with Lowell and Worcester tied, Lowell wins the tie breaker.  If the season ends with Lowell and Providence tied, Providence wins the tie breaker.  These retarded things are so… well… retarded.  Why do we put up with them?  anyway….)

So all Providence and Worcester need to do is go to overtime in one of their remaining two games.  Or, if Lowell loses one of their two remaining games, either in regulation or in overtime, both Providence and Worcester get in. 

Lowell needs to win both of it’s remaining games with Providence and Worcester losing both of their remaining games in regulation.

On Saturday Worcester plays Manchester.  Manchester is the best team in the division.  There is a good chance Worcester will lose tomorrow (we hope).  Providence plays Springfield.  Springfield is in last place and as close to a push over as the division gets.  There’s a huge chance Providence wins tomorrow.  Lowell plays Portland.  They beat Portland tonight, but the Pirates have given the Devils a real tough go of it of late, winning the three meetings prior to tonight.  But, Portland has been eliminated from the play-off race.  Let’s hope they phone it in tomorrow night.  (please?)

Let’s just assume for now that all goes well for Lowell tomorrow.  Let’s say that they beat Portland and Worcester and Providence both lose.  Sunday is the last day of the regular season, and it gets a little more interesting.  Providence plays Manchester.  I really hate Manchester, but I sure hope they win their next two games.  Lowell plays Worcester in Worcester.  Worcester beat the living shit out of Lowell on Wednesday.  Maybe Lowell has finally awoken to the direness of their situation (is direness a word?) and will get some pay back.

My team is still alive in the play-off race, but there is no more margin for error.  If these doofuses want to keep playing this year they have to win both games and they need a ton of out of town puck luck too.

May the hockey gods smile upon my Devils.

(honestly, I just wanted to use god and devil in the same sentence.  Thanks for letting me sneak that biblical babble in.)

I’m going to go dope myself up with cold medicine and sleep for a few days.

g’night.