lordstanley

No filler, but my pick for top 5 in order they appear on track list - Ice Cream Piano - Capricorn - Prep School Gangsters - Mary Boone - Pravda

Damn, Leafs, just coughed up a 2-1 lead. Tied 2-2 with 6 minutes to go.

Our Leafs are trailing the Penguins 1-0 after 1.

Yeah, it's a coin flip. Gun to my head, I have them just missing: Beat Washington, lose to Pittsburgh, lose to Toronto, beat Montreal, OT loss to Montreal. 89 points. Miss by 2 points.

- Wings get 6 pts in final 5 games to get up to 90 - Wash and Philly each get 6 pts or fewer in their final 5 (Wash)/4 (Philly) games so they're out - NYI gets 5 pts in next 4 games to get up to 90 but trail the RW tiebreaker to the Wings - Pitt gets 6 pts in next 4 games to get up to 89 and would win a RW tiebreaker to the Wings - Game 82, NYI just needs a point to get up to 91 to beat out the Wings and Pitt just needs a point to get up to 90 to beat out the Wings. An overtime game would suit them both fine and kill the Wings. - This scenario could play out with different Red Wing final point totals than 90, just showing a very plausible one

Sens win! Wings are back in playoff position. NYI - 85 pts with 5 to go Det - 84 pts with 5 to go Pitt - 83 pts with 5 to go Wash - 83 pts with 5 to go Phil - 83 pts with 4 to go

Caps tied with Ottawa 2-2 with 2 minutes to go.

Right. That would get them to 88. And it is unlikely they will pick up a point in Toronto. So would still leave them probably having to get 3 out of 4 points from Montreal to end the season. Interestingly, NYI plays Penguins the final night of the East's season, the Wednesday, a day after the Wings' Tuesday finale. The Caps-Flyers wrap up their season on the Tuesday too, playing each other. Could be a scenario the Wednesday night where both the Isles and Pens are in with a point each - pass it around for 60 minutes a la Germany-Austria '82?

By my calculation, 4 wins out of 5 will be mathematically enough for the Wings IF two of those wins are in regulation over Washington and Pittsburgh. No matter what the rest of the teams do in their other games. EDIT: Oops, that's only true if the Caps drop at least point today to Ottawa.

1 down, 5 to go. I'm glad accuracy at shooting at empty nets isn't a playoff tiebreaker.

Right. And disappointingly, the only real difference Larkin's return has made is that they've won at least a few games here and there and they've been more competitive in most games. 4-11-2 over 17 games and I think Larkin missed just 8? So maybe 3-4-2 in the two games before he got hurt + the games since his return. Still not very good.

There was no reason at all to think that a team that was #11 overall in points, a strong goal differential, 4th overall in goals scored, had plenty of scoring depth, veteran experience, and started 2024 at 16-4-2 …would then be a bottom 3 team for the next 17 games. If they had simply matched Arizona, Montreal, Chicago or Columbus over that span they’d be sitting pretty for a playoff spot.

Points since February 28: Carolina- 27 Dallas - 26 NYR- 25 Colorado - 25 Tampa- 24 Nashville - 24 Boston - 23 Los Angeles - 23 Toronto -21 St. Louis - 21 NYI - 21 Pittsburgh- 21 Buffalo- 21 Vancouver - 19 Florida- 19 Winnipeg - 19 Vegas - 19 Minnesota - 19 Washington- 19 Arizona - 18 Seattle -17 Ottawa- 17 Montreal- 16 Philadelphia - 14 Columbus - 14 Chicago - 14 New Jersey- 12 Anaheim - 11 Calgary - 10 Detroit- 10 San Jose - 7

I haven't given up, but I don't think a team that has lost 13 of their past 17 games has earned the right to be favored over anyone at this point. In addition to will they or won't they make the playoffs, the other question to debate is whether, if the Wings miss the playoffs, this will going down as the biggest collapse in Red Wings history, at least in the post-Original Six era. I'd say yes. For the regular season, there's no doubt. If including playoffs, the Wings definitely have been on the receiving end of some upsets like Sharks in '94 and Flames in '04, but I think this March-April stretch has been as bad as it gets.

Pittsburgh breaks the tie with around 5 minutes to go, then survives a 6 on 4 for the final minute and a half to win. They now move up to 83 points along with NYI and Philadelphia. Wings and Caps at 82 points.

Have blown that lead. 4-4 with 9 minutes left in the 3rd.

Crosby with his 40th today to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead over Tampa. That’s the 3rd most he has ever scored in his career.

The Wings have been handed a gift, in the form of mediocre play by the rest of the bubble teams, but are blowing it. 13 losses in 17 games. At 82 points, they'd be 9 points out of the last playoff spot in the West, held by LA with 91. That's why they better make it this year. If they don't re-sign Kane (I think they will) and if the playoff cut line goes back to a more normal 95 points or so next year, it won't be any easier.

Wings had their chances. But no moral victories in April.

Caps fall behind with 1:11 to go.

Powerplay to the Wings. Now is the time.

Philly has lost in regulation. Washington is now tied. Coming back for at least a point would make for a decent night. But less than 8 minutes to do so.

Compher is very visible tonight.