Good morning on this possibly glorious day. These tickets for tonight's game have lived quite the life. They started out with the promise of being for a game that would be a send-off for a team that had finally broken the playoff drought. Once the season started the expectations were downgraded and I hoped that the game might be the one to get the Leafs into the playoffs. Around the California road trip I started wondering if I would be able to bilk some sens fans out of their money because I had decided to rid myself of all Leaf tickets. The Leafs' almost miraculous run once again gave me the glimmer of hope that the final installment of the BoO would matter. The idea that this game would matter for anything other than the Slide for Stamkos passed out of my mind. Now, through no effort on the part of the Leafs, this game could become one of the biggest in recent history.

When your team's season is not going as well as could be hoped sometimes all you have to hang on to is the failure of your rivals. Last year was especially difficult as the Eastern Conference folded like a cheap tent in the face of the ottawa senators' top line. A great example of this came during the 2005 Champions League final when Manchester United and Chelsea fans were celebrating and gloating over the apparent demolition of Liverpool by AC Milan. In the end, the mighty Reds completed one of the greatest comebacks in football history and the rival fans ended up eating a tonne of crow. So maybe we should hold onto our celebrations until the sens are officially eliminated from the playoffs. But if they are...oh boy!

Anyway, here are some things to read while waiting for the game day post:

  • The Marlies clinch the division title. Look at Pogge's record: 25-9-4. And he doesn't have a girls' name. Eat your heart out Carey.
    The sens in a must-win game in Toronto? How well have those gone historically? Not good for the sens. Four times!
    Eyebeleaf gets on the Ovie bandwagon officially. I have to say that from the East they are the least objectionable team. Plus, imagine a Pens-Caps first round matchup? TSN would explode. As would Pierre Maguire's pants. MONSTERS GALORE!
    Godd Till helps us transition to baseball season with an article about resident Star columnist and baseball ignoramus Richard Griffin. I understand that some people don't like being bombarded with statistics but don't take the approach that the Bill James' statistics are not a huge upgrade over what exists and do not paint a clearer picture about a player's contribution. It's amazing how many people live by the maxim "ignorance is bliss" but it's always worth a giggle when a major paper's reporter pulls a Colbert and says that he knows better because he uses his gut instead of his brain. Just like Dubya. There's more nerve endings in your gut you know ;)/