The Key

The Boston Bruins shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins today. With the Bruins' win, the Panthers playoff hopes dropped to just 3.6%. If the Panthers win 11 of their remaining 15 games they will have ~70% chance of making the playoffs. The Panthers have never won more than 3 games in a row this season. They need a run and they need one to start today. Miraculously they have gone 2-0-1 with the Saskatoon born, Dan Ellis in net. He has provided adequate goaltending during a difficult time and has made some great saves, but he has also let in soft goals that normally would not find their way to the back of the net. Luongo should be back shortly but with Boston catching lightning in a bottle it may be too late to claw back into 8th place. In other news, Jaromir Jagr continues to look younger than 43. Jagr has five points in five games since joining the Cats and looks right at home playing alongside the kids Barkov and Huberdeau. Steven Kampfer has filled in admirably this season when Willie Mitchell was injured and when Dylan Olsen was absent for personal reasons. The solid play by Kampfer has led to a two-year extension. Yet another example of a great pickup by Tallon earlier this season when the Rangers were forced to make a trade to get under 50 contracts. Kampfer will be a great bottom pairing or seventh Dman for the Cats in the future. But let’s get back to the present. Despite making progress up the standings this season the Cats are poised to miss the playoffs…again… Now you’re probably thinking, “There’s always hope!!” And that may be true, but I don’t want hope. Because ultimately to get to the playoffs hopelessness just might be the key…