Even McPhee can shudder - too close for comfort

Ok I'll give you guys that this is temporarily uncomfortable.

It's just because that, as it happened all season, 7th to 9th place basically all won and loss exactly when we won and lost, making the 5 points spread as apparently short as it was effectively solid all season.

But now, as it theoretically was all season, it's all up for grabs, in a way. Should these CH (hey, notice how "competent Habs" abreviate to CH... maybe an old mystery was just solved here), should these CH falter and lose all three games they run the serious risk of not making it. That was the jist of everyone's point : "should we lose every game from now untill the end of the season..."

Except they won't. Except no team deserving of making the playoffs drops two critical playoff-like games to the suckiest teams that ever sucked, ottawa and tranna. If they did they'd deserve to be ousted in favor of the come-from-behind gang that pulled it together on the last week of the season.

But it won't happen. Carolina has three tough games to play, including this Wednesday against Detroit and back-to-back games against division rivals atlanta and tampa. They just won't emerge with six points. Habs magic number being two, with this lost point all they need is one point for the rest of the season to clinch.

But I get y'all's point : this is too close for comfort. I could theoretically melt down if all stars aligned against them.

But, my friends, the stars have aligned against these Habs all season, and always they rose to the occasion. The stars owe them, right now, and I'm glad they kept their points with them for this time of the year. BTW, noticed that penalty shot that hit the post really awkwardly? That was pretty good timing for that bounce, wouldn't you say?

We all remember that year no one got injured and we finished 1st in the East, That didn't end well, not to mention cost us years of bad luck. I think we're done paying now. I think it's time to kick some playoff ass.

Maybe Chocula was keeping PFK in the sleeve as a secret weapon for the playoffs, so that the opposition has not gained any meaningful experience against it. Maybe I'm on meth.

Give this to Buttman : under his rule the nhl became a heckuva product. I will grant you, though, that it would be nice to clinch before the last week of the season. Well, the last six days.

But, good news is, if we win tomorrow we're in, no magic number this, no disappointment that. We're in. We could finally kiss and make up, people.