The Canadian Juniors got a silver medal Wednesday night even though a gold medal was within their reach and the Habs play the Bruins tonight in a game that could nearly flip the standings upside down for these two teams!
Canadian Juniors
Talk about choking! I couldn't stand watching as Team Canada crumbled to the Russians in the third period Wednesday night. They went into the period with a 3-0 lead and then let the Russians score 5 goals straight in the third, to lose 5-3. I've never seen such a terrible turnaround! Okay maybe by the Leafs...
Am I a bad person for feeling happy when the Russians got kicked off their flight for 'unruly behaviour'?
Habs vs. Bruins - A Game that can ROCK the standings
Canadiens are fresh off their first Shootout win of the season thanks to a beautiful goal by Benoit Pouliot (by the way, it was also their only shootout of the season). Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins are coming off a pretty decent road trip, collecting 8 out of a possible 10 points in their last 5 games.
The most exciting thing about tonight's game is the change that can happen in the standings if the Habs get their act together and win. Montreal sits in 8th place in the Eastern Conference right now with 47 pts. Boston is in 3rd with 48.
Pos - Pts - Team
1. 56 - Pittsburgh
2. 53 - Tampa Bay*
3. 48 - Boston*
4. 55 - Philadelphia
5. 52 - Washington
6. 51 - NY Rangers
7. 50 - Atlanta
8. 47 - Montreal
Since they changed the way the standings work, each of the 3 division leaders are guaranteed a top 3 spot in the conference standings. So, for example Tampa Bay, leader of the Southeast division with 53 points is ahead of Philadelphia who has 55 points. That doesn't seem too bad. However, looking at Boston with 48 points ahead of Philadelphia, does look kind of strange.
Anyways that's the way the league's standings work, like it or not. And, it's a great opportunity for the Habs because they can jump up to 3rd place if they beat Boston tonight.
Tonight's game could be important for the end of season results. It's a so-called '4-point game'. The winning team gets 2 points for the win, but the losing team loses an opportunity at earning 2 points.
Whoever, holds third place at the end of the season will have a major advantage in the playoff run, allowing them to face easier teams to start. Let's hope the Habs bring their best game tonight.
Patrick
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