Final Round

Henrik Sedin did what he could against the Calgary Flames. His teammates also did what they could to get the puck to him all night. Henrik played around five minutes more then usual and ended up with four assists. Brother Daniel also had a four-point night. He scored three goals, of which the last one was a sick stick-between-the-legs stunt. So Henrik Sedin leads the point race with his franschise-record 112 points. Now all he can do is wait and see what Alexander Ovechkin can do in his last game. The Russian sits three points behind in the hunt for the Art Ross.

In Philadelphia it all comes down to what feels like a Game 7 between the Flyers and the New York Rangers. One game. The winner is in the playoffs, the loser is out. It's a tough one. The Blueshirts looked good in the last game against the Flyers and the are 7-2-1 in their last ten and winners in the last two. Philadelphia, eventhough they are playing at home, are just 3-6-1 in their last ten. I will go with the Rangers.

Detroit are in a good spot right now. Currently in fifth place in the Western Conference, they will face the fourth-placed Phoenix Coyotes in the first round. Not that Phoenix is in any way a bad team, they have had a fantastic season, but I don't think they were hoping to get the Wings in the first round. Actually, I doubt any team were hoping to get Detroit. Well, it all comes down to the last game. The Red Wings need to win their last game, away against Chicago. If they lose and Los Angeles beat Colorado away, the Wings will instead face Vancouver in the first round.

Wow, there is so much at stake in this final round of the season. Just the way it should be.

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Coyotes dismiss funky Leafs

Hockey is sizzling in Arizona and the Phoenix Coyotes are red hot. Since adding goalie Ilya Bryzgalov from Anaheim they have won four straight games and Bryzgalov has given up just six goals in that span. The visiting Toronto Maple Leafs, losers in four of their last five games, were no match for the Coyotes, and were comfortably dismissed 5-1.

During Coach's Corner, hockey analyst Don Cherry once again took his beloved Leafs veterans in defense. When pretty much everyone else can see that the Toronto Maple Leafs are in desperate need of a complete overhaul, he is convinced it's just a goaltender issue. When Bryan McCabe, among others, is caught sleeping in his own zone, Cherry still goes after poor Vesa Toskala.

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Bad news for the rest of the NHL, the duo of Nylander and Backstrom are really starting to click. In the win against Carolina they had a goal and four assists between them, and Jaromir Jagr is sulking back in New York.

Caps snap Senators streak

What better way to get out of a slump than to take on the best team in the league at their own court? That is what the Washington Capitals did at the Scotiabank Place yesterday. They proved to any doubters, and there must be a few by now, they are not as bad a team as their record might suggest. The fact is that the Caps have been playing some great hockey while putting up these losing numbers. Perhaps the 5-1 win over the seemingly unbeatable Ottawa Senators will give them enough spark to turn this thing around.

Man, are the New York Rangers a different team with Sean Avery back in the lineup. In yesterday's 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins he scored one goal and also fed Scott Gomez for his forth tally of the season. The Rangers have now won six of their last eight games. But even though they are 8-2 at home they are still without a single win on the road. The offense is looking better now than it did a few games back, but they will have to start racking up some wins away from home if they intend to make the playoffs.

Also, the Phoenix Coyotes are shaken things up down in the desert. After scoring six goals to beat the Ducks, they put up another five to dismiss the Dallas Stars for their first home win in seven games. Looks like Gretzky's bunch could could create more than a little trouble for the rest of the teams in the Pacific division. They are suddenly a .500 team and currently the only team in the division with a winning streak.