Wow...what a game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Detroit Red Wings tonight; the fourth playoff game to go to double overtime thus far. Edmonton won it 4-3 (or, if you were to believe CBS Sportsline's web ticker, 5-3 in OT...not sure how that happens) on an insane goalmouth scramble after a back-and-forth game that saw the Oilers relinquish a 3-1 lead, and also featured Detroit seemingly scoring the winner in the first OT period, though review showed that the puck squeaked underneath the net when Dwayne Roloson bumped into it, causing it to jump on its pegs. As I said before, the longer this series goes, the better it is for the Oilers, the West's 8th seed with lots of young legs...and nothing makes a series go longer like tacking on a few overtime periods.

You wouldn't know how exciting the game was, however, from the CBC play-by-play announcer; I never caught his full name, but his colour commentator kept calling him "Mark." Mark seemed to have a little trouble figuring out what was going on at times, and the only times he got particularly excited were bonafide scoring opportunities; as soon as the threat passed, he dropped back down to a low tone that I can only guess was valium-induced. He was absolutely terrible at capturing the emotion of the game and the energy of the crowd, and I found myself hoping that at least one Canadian team would be ousted so that I wouldn't have to listen to him again - give me Bob Cole, Jim Hughson or Don Wittman over ol' Mark any day...at least listening to them isn't the equivalent of ingesting a roofie.

Tell you what: I feel a little goofy posting my first-round playoff predictions after 12 of the teams have already played game #1, but better late than never.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Ottawa vs (8) Tampa Bay - Ottawa in 5
-The Senators' defence is just too strong, and their offence shouldn't have too much trouble with the Lightning's goaltending tandem of John Grahame and Sean Burke. Even without Hasek, Ottawa shouldn't have too much trouble.

(2) Carolina vs (7) Montreal - Carolina in 7
-Montreal had solid goaltending from Cristobal Huet in the regular season, but the Hurricanes have so many weapons that they should ultimately prevail. And nobody on either team wants a Stanley Cup more than 'Canes captain Rod Brind'Amour.

(3) New Jersey vs (6) NY Rangers - New Jersey in 6
-In making this prediction, I'm pretending I didn't see Jaromir Jagr leave Game #1 with an apparent shoulder injury; that could ultimately mean this series is over in 4 or 5 games, especially if the Rangers continue their undisciplined play that saw them give the Devils 13 power plays, on which they allowed 5 power play goals, plus one that Ken Klee tallied just one second after a man advantage had expired.

(4) Buffalo vs (5) Philadelphia - Buffalo in 6
-Philly is a very hostile environment for opposing teams, but that should be the only real problem for the Sabres, who are worlds faster than the big-and-strong Flyers.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Detroit vs (8) Edmonton - Detroit in 6
-Edmonton definitely has the advantage of young legs, but you wouldn't have known it in Game 1, when Detroit won in double overtime. The Wings are the league's oldest team, but they've got lots of experience, and should go deep; however, the goaltending duo of Chris Osgood and Manny Legace might not be up to the task. The longer this series goes, the better for Edmonton, who will have energy to burn; if they can play smart defence and keep the puck moving, they could wear the Red Wings out.

(2) Dallas vs (7) Colorado - Colorado in 7
-The Avalanche definitely deserves more respect than it's getting; many people seem to have counted them out because José Theodore has had such a shaky season, but Colorado still has a well-built team, not to mention a top line of Alex Tanguay, Milan Hedjuk, and the ever-clutch Joe Sakic. Dallas has quite a few offensive weapons too, plus better defence and arguably a better goaltender, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Colorado advance.

(3) Calgary vs (6) Anaheim - Calgary in 5
-Solid defence, solid offence, a brilliant goalie, a captain who would do anything to win, and so much heart throughout...I just can't see Anaheim overcoming them.

(4) Nashville vs (5) San Jose - San Jose in 7
-Kariya had a huge first game, and the Predators did a good job of holding up Cheechoo and Thornton, but the Sharks still have another big scorer in Patrick Marleau, not to mention 2004 Selke finalist Alyn McCauley and Calgary's pugilist from that year's Cup run, Ville Nieminen. With Tomas Vokoun out, can 30-year-old Chris Mason, with a total of 44 games' NHL experience going into the playoffs, help Nashville hold onto the series? My guess is no.

Toronto GM John Ferguson Jr. fired head coach Pat Quinn and his assistant Rick Ley this morning, and at his 1:00pm press conference, that was about the only thing JFJ seemed sure of. Reporters were ripping into him left, right and center, demanding an explanation of his plan for the future, and reminding him of the many acquisitions he made last summer that didn't pan out. Ferguson often looked quite taken aback by the barrage, and stammered his way to many vague answers; perhaps he wouldn't have seemed quite so unsure of himself if he wasn't aware that his performance is under careful review as well. He might not survive at the post until next season begins.

Notice that I said nothing along the lines of, "Wow! I saw this one coming! I totally called this weeks ago!" I've read posts like that so many times today that I want to scream, and even the talking heads on TSN and Sportsnet felt it necessary to tell us that they'd seen this coming, having the inside connections that they do. Well, I've got news for you, kids: everyone saw this one coming. Toronto wasn't going to miss their first playoffs in 8 years without at least one head rolling, and coaches are hired to be fired. Ferguson's hiring of Paul Maurice as the coach of the AHL's Toronto Marlies was an obvious precursor to bringing him up with the big club; seeing the positive impact Maurice has had on the kids down in the 'A', that just might translate into a big season for the Maple Leafs next year. Notice, however, that JFJ didn't announce Maurice as the new head coach today; that may seem strange, but they shouldn't rule out other candidates, and Maurice still has to coach the Marlies through their own playoff run.

So please, people, no more pointing out that you predicted the obvious. If you'd predicted the Joe Thornton trade last fall, I would have been impressed...but keep this up, and I'm going to start relentlessly predicting that here in southern Ontario, the sun will rise between midnight and 11:59am, and set between noon and 11:59pm. Year 'round, too! You could set your watch to it.

Still singing the Blues

I was ready to get on St. Louis GM Larry Pleau's case for deciding to exercise their option on underachieving left winger Keith Tkachuk, but now that I think about it, it's really not such a bad idea after all. Tkachuk will make $3.8 million next year, but because the CBA states that the average of his contract will count against the cap, that's $5.7 million accounted for. Why is it not a bad idea? Well, this past year, St. Louis ended up with about $27M in salary, with a $21.5M floor. Next year, the league minimum could jump as high as $29 million, which would leave the Blues a good two million below the limit. Now, this extra $1.9M that will count against the cap with the Tkachuk signing should give them a little more of a cushion to make sure they are in compliance with the cap. Clever, no?

Of course, they could have always gone out and spent that money on some free agents who would have earned it...

Good thing the Jays are better this year...

In case you haven't noticed, Toronto was eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since Pat Quinn arrived, and the questions are swirling as they head to the golf course. Will Quinn stay, or will GM John Ferguson Jr. bring Paul Maurice to fill his spot? Will JFJ even be back next year? And which players will be re-signed? Which ones will be let go? Will the Leafs stick with Tellqvist and Aubin in goal? Will there be any big trades or free-agent signings?

After the way Aubin has played in his 10 games with the big club (8-0-2, 2.14 GAA, .926 SV%), he was awarded a one-year, one-way contract for next year. On one hand, it would be good to give him a shot at the full-time starter's job, but on the other, Toronto might be safer to pick up a free agent goaltender like Curtis Joseph. One strategy would be to try Aubin and Tellqvist in net for the start of the year, and if it doesn't work out, a swap could be made; this would mean giving up a pick or a player, but there would also be more goalies available for this type of transaction.

As for skaters, Toronto looked solid to end the year, but a few upgrades could stand to be made. A winger for Sundin should be at the top of the shopping list; Patrick Elias would be a viable-but-expensive option (though Toronto should have plenty of cap room), and Sergei Samsonov or Maxim Afinogenov would work nicely as well. If Brad Richards decides to test the waters of free agency, Toronto could also make a play for him. The rest of the forwards are more-or-less in place, with a few tweaks to be made. Tie Domi, love him though Leafs fans might, has very little impact at this stage of his career, and should step away from the game gracefully this summer. Jeff O'Neill is still under contract for another year, and should be given a chance to turn things around next season; 19 goals and 38 points isn't a bad year, but he has to be much more effective - if not, he's trade bait. Nik Antropov also finished the season strong; Toronto should re-sign him, but should also be prepared to jettison him if he doesn't meet expectations. Clarke Wilm, a capable penalty killer and defensive forward, could be re-signed for the league minimum, but kept as a spare. Eric Lindros - get ready, because you might not hear this a lot - should be re-signed if the price is right. His injury was not concussion-related, which means he should be good to go next year, and if Toronto can get him for around $1 million, they would be wise to seriously consider it. The rest of the forwards should stay status quo; the kids are all right, and they're ready to keep on impressing - Stajan, Wellwood and Steen all had impressive years, Ben Ondrus was a sparkplug, and several other youngsters could be ready to make the jump including Alex Foster, Aleksander Suglobov, Robbie Earl, Jeremy Williams and Johnny Pohl.

Back on defence, things look bright for the future. A slew of capable youngsters have all been impressive this season, with 6 - count 'em, 6 - suiting up for the big boys at some point. Kaberle has signed a 4-year deal, which was a smart move on the Leafs' part. McCabe might be determined to try out free agency, and if he asks for too much, Toronto should let him do it and turn their focus elsewhere - loads of defencemen could be available, including Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden, Ed Jovanovski, Pavel Kubina and Filip Kuba. Richardson played well too, much better than Ken Klee, and should be rewarded with a contract (for somewhat less than the $2.09 million he makes now). When all is said and done, Toronto should use two or three of their youngsters, plus Kaberle and Richardson, with the remaining spot or two filled by McCabe and/or free agents; they should also think about dealing one of their surplus sophomores-to-be to get some return, instead of letting that talent stagnate within the organization. ...What? I didn't mention Berg or Belak? Whoops! Well, Belak is under contract next season, and actually wasn't awful on his own; he works as a seventh defenceman. Berg, on the other hand, should have been traded after his silver medal at the Olympics, when his return value could have been higher; now, Toronto should just stay away from re-signing him. He never lived up to his potential in Toronto, and has just become a running joke among Leafs fans.

Now, if John Ferguson Jr. just reads this and is convinced, then we're set...or best-case scenario, the MLSE could read it, like what they see, and I'm the new GM, which would work out just fine; I always wondered what the ACC offices were like.

Things have started settling a little more in the playoff race, although there are still a lot of things to determine. The only playoff team in the East whose position is solidified is Buffalo, in fourth. The Western Conference, however, is just about ready to roll. So far, the playoff matchups will be first-place Detroit versus Edmonton, and fourth-seeded Nashville against number-five San Jose. #2 Dallas and #3 Calgary need to wait and see what happens with the Ducks and the Avs in each team's last game, as Colorado is just a point behind Anaheim.

Stay tuned.

A few things have been resolved after a busy night in the NHL, so briefly:

-Calgary and Ottawa clinch the titles of their respective divisions
-Vancouver's loss solidifies the Western Conference playoff picture, but first-round matchups have yet to be determined
-Toronto and Atlanta both win while Tampa Bay sits idle; the Thrashers and Leafs are now 2 and 3 points back of the Lightning, respectively.

Check out TSN.ca's complete standings here.

With every NHL team having between two and four games remaining, the playoff picture still isn't cleared up, as some are hanging on for dear life. Here's the 411.

EAST:

-Montreal still hasn't clinched a spot. 9th place Atlanta sits 6 points behind them with four games left, and could catch up; this, however, is unlikely considering the roll the Canadiens have been on since the Olympic break. Three points either way - either through Montreal gaining them, Atlanta losing them, or a combination - would seal the deal for the Habs.
-If anybody should be scared right now, it's the Lightning. Atlanta is just four back of them, and has a game in hand; one misstep by the Bolts could kill them. Toronto is also six points back of the last playoff spot, and have been lighting things up with no regulation losses in their last eight games. It will still take a big miracle, as four points either way with Tampa will send the Leafs golfing, but after Mats Sundin's 4-goal, 6-point night on Tuesday, it looks like they're not ready to give up yet.

WEST:

-The Kings have one point to give between themselves and the 8th-place Oilers, who are cold in their last few games and must snap out of it. Chances of the Kings making it are slim-to-none.
-Vancouver sits one point out of 8th, and both they and Edmonton have two games left. The Canucks play San Jose and Colorado, and will need to rebound after a costly loss to the Sharks on Wednesday night (though they managed to take a point from overtime). The Oil battle the Avalanche as well, with their other game coming against Anaheim. For both these teams, the last two matches will be crucial, and it looks like at least one of the Western Conference's Canadian teams won't be making it to the big dance.

Well, as awful as the Mighty Ducks' announcers may be - and who'da thunk that they wouldn't have amazing announcers for a fantastic hockey market like that? - the Los Angeles Kings have gotten sick of Sean Avery's antics anyway, and are ditching him. And I don't mean at the season's end; I mean right now. Avery was asked to participate in a drill in Wednesday's team practice, and he refused; he was then told to leave the ice. He then met with GM Dave Taylor and interim coach John Torchetti, and subsequently did not accompany the team on a road trip to Phoenix.

Kings fans rejoice! He's somebody else's problem now...so fans of the other 29 teams, start cringing in fear. He could be yours.

Sean Avery: Back to Business

Boy, it's been a while since Sean Avery made a fool of himself, hasn't it? He's been fairly quiet over the last few months; the one notable thing he had to say to the media was to talk about the pink sticks he and several other players are playing with, to promote breast cancer awareness.

But wait!

Mighty Ducks broadcaster Brian Hayward was visiting the Kings' dressing room on Friday, when Sean Avery confronted him about comments he had made accusing Avery of running away from a fight with Anaheim pugilist Todd Fedoruk. The full TSN.ca report can be seen here, but here are some of the highlights (as reported by the L.A. Times):


Avery: "You're an embarrassment."
Hayward: "You want to see an embarrassment? Look in the mirror, Sean."

Avery: "You're the reason the league doesn't have a national television deal. You're a (terrible) announcer and you were a (terrible) player."
Hayward: "How would you know? When I played, you were in your third year of eighth grade."

Oh boy. That's good times. From what I understand, Hayward is indeed a mediocre broadcaster, and was a career backup goaltender - he shared the Jennings Trophy (for goalies of the team with the least goals against) with Patrick Roy in three consecutive years (1986-87 to 1988-89), but many would argue that a trained monkey could share the Jennings if your number one is Patrick Roy. On the other hand, he seems to have a quick wit, and if he's going to trade verbal blows with Sean Avery, that makes him my hero for the day.

It wouldn't have been the first time that Avery ran from a fight, and certainly will not be the last - he's not big on backing up that mouth of his - but apparently he felt the need to defend himself. I'm not sure why, because by now his reputation is so far down the toilet that the only people who like him are the ones who like everybody that "speaks their mind," which the monkey doesn't even need to be trained to do, he just needs the power of speech (although I guess flinging feces is a form of expression).

Race to the Playoffs

In the NHL's Eastern Conference, the top eight teams are all but written in stone, with the biggest uncertainty being which place each will finish in. After Friday night's games, Atlanta and Toronto are 6 and 7 points back of 8th-place Tampa Bay, respectively; both have six games to play. All hope is not lost for these two teams, however. Although the Lightning play bottom-feeders Washington and Pittsburgh one more time each, these are teams with nothing to lose, and could prove to be a challenge. Besides that, Tampa faces off against division leader Carolina twice more. Atlanta can look forward to playing the Lightning one more time next Tuesday, in a four-point matchup that they absolutely must win.

The Leafs, meanwhile, must play three challenging teams in Philadelphia, Ottawa, and Buffalo; they will not face any of the teams they are chasing again, and can only control their own fates to a certain degree. Even to win all their remaining games would give them only 92 points on the year, a mark that Tampa should not have trouble passing. That being said, stranger things have happened.

With a 5-1 loss against the Penguins tonight, Florida was eliminated from the race; they will look to get Roberto Luongo under contract now, and with captain Olli Jokinen having signed at the trade deadline, have a decent core to build around. And they should do it fast, because their fans must be losing patience.

Though the playoff race in the Eastern Conference seems to be winding down, in the West, things are still up in the air. Anaheim (92 pts), Edmonton (91), Colorado (90), and San Jose (89) sit in spots five through eight, and the Canucks (87) and Kings (85) are still within striking distance. Of these six teams, the Ducks, Avalanche and Sharks are in the best shape, with 6 games remaining for each. Los Angeles has only four left with which to scrape into contention, with two of those coming against Anaheim and San Jose. Vancouver is in a slightly better position, and will play San Jose twice, along with Anaheim and Colorado once each, in four of their final five matches. The Canucks' playoff drive would be helped greatly by the return of stud defenceman Ed Jovanovski, who is rumoured to be looking at a return to the lineup on Saturday night.

When the fifth seed could still be knocked out of the playoffs, you know the competition is fierce. Anaheim should have their sights set on taking fourth place (and home ice) from Nashville, which sits four points ahead, but the Ducks should be wary of all the teams trying to catch them; they do not have any easy games left, and will be hard-pressed to fend off those which sit below them in the standings.

Should be an interesting last couple of weeks.