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And down the stretch they come

March 17, 2009 03:29 PM | Posted by   Marc Crawford  

The races on both sides in the NHL this season have been phenomenal and with less than four weeks to go in the regular season, virtually every game will have an impact on the standings.

Scoreboard watching has not only become a pastime, but it’s taken over as the activity of choice by all who toil in and follow the NHL.

Parity has taken over the league, making for close games night after night with many resulting in three points being awarded. As I write this, there are still 10 teams in the Eastern Conference fighting it out for the eight playoff spots, while in the West, the race is crazy close. Thirteen teams are still in contention with only six points separating seventh-place Dallas and 13th-place Los Angeles.

The magic number

Since the extra point was instituted for a shootout win in 2005-06, it has generally meant that teams would need to have at least 92 points to expect to qualify for post-season play. Ninety-two points. That’s 10 games over .500 in the win-loss column.

Only once has a team qualified for the post-season having less than those magic 92 points (Nashville had 91 in 2008). I coached one of three teams that didn’t make the playoffs after amassing at least 92 points, the Vancouver Canucks in 2006. (Carolina in 2008 with 92 points and Colorado in 2007 with 95 are the other two).

When I look back at that season with the Canucks and realize that one mistake, bad penalty, near miss or recalled goal might have been the difference, it made for a very long and painful off-season.

In the end we all realize that in sports, especially at the professional level, there are no excuses. Good teams overcome whatever adversity they face and smart teams never even allow their groups to get close to being in a situation where it comes down to one play.

Call on your veterans

Expect that down the stretch players and coaches will be squeezing every ounce of energy they can find within their respective teams. Dwayne Roloson, at age 39, will play almost every game in goal for the Oilers because this isn’t the time to experiment. Anaheim Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle will double shift his trusted warriors like Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer in an attempt to capture the final playoff spot in the West.

In the East, Lindy Ruff and his Buffalo Sabres will have to play tight defensive hockey as they try to hold the fort in anticipation of making one final push for the playoffs once netminder Ryan Miller returns from injury. And we will soon find out if John Torterella and Sean Avery can make the difference and keep the Rangers in the picture.

Don Cherry said on Hockey Night in Canada this past weekend that we should be celebrating the fact that these playoff races are so compelling. He is absolutely right. This is the wildest race I have ever seen, with 80 per cent of our teams still having a legitimate chance.

So, watch the games. Get into it. Curse the results that don’t go your team’s way and whoop it up when they get that extra shootout point.

One thing is for sure - whoever makes it to the post-season will have earned it.

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