NHL Playoffs: The Dogs are Howling

The dogs are howling and they are rearing to go. The 72 game regular season is over and the hunt for the cup has already started. The Leafs, Hurricanes, Devils, and Rangers all developed a taste for blood a month ago but now every dog is fighting for his life and the playoffs have begun.

Where the dogs stand in the pecking order of the regular season has no bearing on the outcome now. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. This is war with every dog for himself.  

The Rangers got bitten last night how many more bites can they take? They are only 4 points up on the Flyers so have to be considered as one of the Hungry Dog pack.  

The Hurricanes also joined the Hungry Dog pack last night as a result of a mauling by the Sabers. They have to be asking how many more maulings they can take with one more game against the Sabers and two more against Washington.   

Washington put some space between them and the Thrashers who had been nipping at their heels. The Thrashers won’t waste any time licking their wounds but dust themselves off and try to get a taste of revenge which is not as sweet as success but a dog has got to eat something and scraps are good when that’s all there is. 

If the Leafs want to run with the pack of hungry Dogs they have got to take apiece out of the Sabres today. The Leafs may have been decapitated with Sundin going down fighting the good fight but even at 60 percent he would be the best leaf on the ice and there is no way to stop him if he thinks there is any way that he might be able to help His team He’ll be there. You can count on that. If Sundin has fallen then we will see what this Leafs team is really all about. They have been feeding off Sundin's leadership all year and I don't expect that to change with or without Sundin It’s game on.   

Despite last nights successful attack on the Canes, the Sabers are looking pretty mangy with three of their regular defensemen out with injuries. Spacek, Kalinin and Paetsch are all expected to miss today’s game. It’s a come as you are war and the best you can do is bind the wounds and call up reserves when the main dogs fall.  

The Leafs and Sabers are not alone. Every team is dealing with injury problems right now. Blue ribbon pedigree dogs like Chara and Crosby are injured. Boston has wilted and the Pens have sprouted a new head. Of course injuries will have an effect but the team that deals best with that will win out in the end. 

The other major dustup today is the Flyers and Bruins who both can see the pack of hungry Dogs approaching and know that soon they will be in the middle of it. They have only one chance of delaying the inevitable and that is to win today’s head to head.. Both teams have been relatively peacefull lately  and seemed content to watch the storm clouds gather but now war is upon them and it’s kill or be killed.

The Flyers and Bruins are in their last head to head of the season It will be a good battle with the loser getting fed to the pack and the winner getting the right to send a “Beware of Dog “message to all the other dogs. This is my territory  I still have some fight left in me. I'll take a piece out of any dog that tries to take it from me. Whoever wins this battle will only enjoy it temporarily. 

The top dogs in the conference NJD, Pens, Sens and Purse Snatchers Habs are all within 1 point of each other and are battling for the 1st spot and home ice advantage so the Flyers or Bruins aren't going to get any better treatment from the Top dogs ahead than from the Hungry Dogs behind. They are stuck in the middle and will have to fight from every angle for every inch of ground...    

The Flyers fate doesn't look good. They have to face the top Dogs five times. Pens -3   NJD -2 Then the Pack of Hungry dogs  NYR -2 NYI -2 Thrashers -1 if you think that is a desperate situation take a look at Boston's fate.

Boston has to face the top dogs  5 games Sens -2  Purse Snatcher Habs-2  NJD -1 and the Pack of Hungry dogs 5 times Leafs -2 Sabers -2 and Caps -1.   That being said there isn’t one easy victory for any team left in this campaign. When the Beast from the East emerges he will have to do battle on the Western Front before the 2008 war is over. 

Who are going to be the lucky dogs that get to drink from the cup?  That is the easy part. The only teams to ever win the Stanley cup are the ones that deserve it most. The dogs of war are on the prowl and there’s no stopping them. All will be revealed. The playoffs have begun.