Consistent Mediocrity

by Ryan

Ottawa did us a favor and beat Boston in regulation for once. Philly squeaked out a point and got back that lead. As of right now, that's all that matters anymore. We can't catch anyone else, let alone dream of getting higher than 7th place. That cushy 6th place finish we've been eyeing is impossible, and right now we are looking at missing the top eight all together.

To be honest, I said and still believe that this season was lost a week ago after the Washington game. It was just too much of the same old same old, too much consistent mediocrity. The numbers were still there to do it, but that spark just didn't seem to be coming anytime soon.

The last two games have proven to be the collective efforts of a team hanging on by a thread. Two points in two games, yes, but still missing out on huge opportunities. When will the final push over the edge come? To be honest, tonight may be that final push; a game against a hungry team vying for the top seed in the East. With an injury plagued roster, a team teetering on the brink of the postseason has one last chance to beat a team they just can't seem to beat. Wow, sounds a lot like Monday.

As negative as the above sounds, this game and the run needed isn't impossible. Pittsburgh and a few other teams have had their share of injuries as well and who knows what can happen if a team above us gets cold. Just a few weeks ago the Flyers were leading the Atlantic, today they are objective #1 for any team outside of the playoff picture. Who knows what the next two weeks will bring.

So what do we need? Well, to play better then 3-4-3 in our last ten for sure. Realistically we need to win at least 9 of 12, a win percentage of +.750. Anyone remember the last time we had that going for us? Last year, even?

The point is this: it's going to take a whole lot of things to work at once to get this team into the 8th seed. Philly/Boston have to lose a lot of games, we need to win a lot of games, and we need to get/stay healthy. Oh, and no more overtime games. Bonus points are the Devil from here on out. Those are a whole lot of needs and very little time to get them taken care of.

Twelve games. Four points to gain back. No matter how depressing it looks this is an exciting time. This is what you live for as a sports fan, the dead heat to the finish line. Their players against ours. City against city. That sidebar is going to be moving nightly and we'll be here to keep you in the loop with scoreboard watching, but tonight the most important game for us is in the Igloo.

Let's go, boys.