A press conference is scheduled to take place from Fenway Park tomorrow, most likely to make what is the least surprising announcement ever – that the Bruins will host the Flyers in this year’s Winter Classic.

Well…they can keep their shared locker room, 36,000+ fan, outdoors in the middle of a Boston winter craziness.

Because it looks like the Caps may be headed up to Montreal for a little Thanksgiving classic of their own, as the final touches appear to be in place for a Caps-Canadiens clash at Olympic Stadium.

Don’t get me wrong – Fenway is awesome. Big fan of Fenway, Green Monster and all. Love those Bosox. A Bruins-Caps Winter Classic would have been a tremendous display of old and new, two of the hottest young teams in the league facing off in one of the greatest sports buildings in the country.

The idea that we could see Ovechkin and friends in one of my favorite cities, though, playing in front of what could be up to 70,000 crazy Quebecers (albeit in a less prestigious arena), is kind of exciting to say the least. They love him up there and we all know he tends to rise to the challenge of being in the spotlight unlike anyone else.

But there hasn’t been a spotlight like this on him yet – just imagine the possibilities! I’m pumped.

Time to ask that age old question…is it October yet?

Tonight’s game in Sunrise, Florida is possibly the most meaningless game the Caps will have played in awhile. Sure, a few asterisked franchise records are on the line and a few personal milestones and awards still hang in the balance – but this has to be one of the toughest games to get motivated for, be it as a player or a fan. There’s just very little to play for, on either side. Pride, momentum, blah blah blah.

We’ve had the division for awhile, regardless of when it actually became official; the second seed is locked up thanks to a win on Thursday. The Panthers, on the other hand, spent Thursday evening cursing out the Bruins for ceding a point to the Habs and cursing out the Flyers for not stopping the Rangers…and cursing themselves out for once again failing to make the postseason.

Yup, should be a cheery arena tonight.

So instead of focusing on our game, we can look ahead and focus on some actually meaningful hockey – and who will be first up on the Caps’ road to the Cup. It could all be decided by the end of the night tonight. It will definitely be decided by the end of the weekend.

Tonight will feature Montreal taking on Pittsburgh; tomorrow it’s Rangers-Flyers. If the Canadiens should fail to gain a point against the Penguins, it doesn’t matter what New York does tomorrow – the Caps and Rangers will meet in the postseason for the fifth time in franchise history. Should the Habs pick up a point, the Rangers only need a point against the Flyers to leapfrog them; if the Canadiens win, the Rangers need a win. If the Canadiens finish with more points, we’ll face the Habs for the first time in franchise history.

But who do we actually want to play? Both the Canadiens and Rangers, for all their many (many, many, many) faults, have some things that could make them a tricky opponent for whomever draws them in the first round. There are no easy playoff matchups – and I’ll ignore the bitter laughter of last year’s Ottawa team – and while I think the Caps could take either one, neither Montreal nor New York seem poised to simply roll over.

Breaking it down…

New York Rangers
Season Series – Caps 3-0-1
11/8 @ Was, Caps win 3-1 – A disciplined, low-scoring goaltenders duel between Brent Johnson and Henrik Lundqvist; Brooks Laich and Aaron Voros traded power play goals, Johnson stopped a Chris Drury penalty shot and former Ranger Tom Poti would get the eventual game-winner.

12/23 @ NY, Caps win 5-4 (OT) – Ah, the Miracle on 34th Street. It was a turning point in Jose Theodore’s season as he returned after being yanked to backstop an incredible rally, the Caps scoring four unanswered goals to overcome a 4-0 deficit. And birthday boy Shaone Morrisonn would be the unlikely overtime hero to complete the comeback as the Caps won at MSG for the first time in five years.

1/3 @ Was, Caps win 2-1 – Mike Green picked up his 10th goal of the season and Ovechkin’s shorthanded goal would prove to be the game-winner in this tight defensive game – but the highlight was Semin’s “fight” with Marc Staal in the third period. Bongos, anyone?

2/11 @ NY, Rangers win 5-4 (SO) – Each team led twice in a see-saw battle that featured Mike Green’s record-tying seventh straight game with a goal, en route to a two goal performance. It wasn’t enough though as the Caps fell to the king of the shootout, Henrik Lundqvist.

Names to Know: Henrik Lundqvist, Chris Drury, Nik Antropov, Scott Gomez, Sean Avery
Power Play: 13.7%, 29th in the league
Penalty Kill: 88.0%, 1st in the league
Leading Scorer: Nik Antropov, 28-30-58, -15

Why We Don’t Want Them: Goaltending has always been important in the playoffs, and Henrik Lundqvist, when he’s on, is one of the best in the league and has backstopped the Rangers to 37 of their 42 wins. MSG is always a tough building to play in, particularly for the Caps. And no one wants to face Sean Avery for even one game, let alone a four to seven game series.

Why We Want Them: Lundqvist may be good but he’s also been inconsistent this year – not to mention the fact that the Caps aren’t exactly scared of him, having ramped up the score a few times this season. And in front of Lundqvist is a team that doesn’t score a ton, has questionable defense, is horrible on the power play and has been playing playoff hockey for the better part of a month. Plus there are no shootouts in the playoffs.

Montreal Canadiens
Season Series – Caps 3-1-0
11/28 @ Was, Caps win 3-0 – The Habs fans were out in full force at Verizon, taunting Theodore before the puck had even dropped. By the end it was Caps fans who were loud and proud as goals by Ovechkin, Fleischmann and Steckel were overshadowed by a Jose Theodore shutout over his former team.

12/13 @ Mon, Caps win 2-1 – The Habs were without Dandenault, Koivu and Higgins; the Caps were missing a slew of regulars and lost three more during the game as Fedorov, Sloan and Backstrom all left with injuries. Nylander’s fluky goal late in the third would be the winner, Brooks Laich would get into a fight and the Caps would kill off eight Montreal power plays – but the story again was goaltending as Simeon Varlamov appeared in his first NHL game and turned away 32 of 33 shots to earn his first victory.

1/10 @ Mon, Habs win 5-4 – Semin scored his 15th and 16th of the season in a back and forth game that saw the teams exchange leads all night. But a late game mental mistake by Milan Jurcina led to the go-ahead goal by Sergei Kostitsyn that would prove to be the game-winner – and cost Boudreau a coaching slot at the All Star Game.

2/18 @ Was, Caps win 4-3 (SO) – We all know by now that it wasn’t the goal so much as the play that led to it – Ovechkin bouncing a pass off the boards to himself, spinning around a Montreal defender and catapulting toward the net before putting the puck (and himself) in behind Carey Price. Magical. Backstrom also scored and Steckel tied it up late, while Jose Theodore turned away 32 of 35 shots and stopped both shootout attempts.

Names to Know: Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Mike Komisarek, Carey Price, Alex Tanguay, Mathieu Schneider
Power Play: 19.4%, 10th in the league
Penalty Kill: 82.2%, 12th in the league
Leading Scorer: Alex Kovalev, 26-39-65, -3

Why We Don’t Want Them: Jose Theodore hasn’t played in Montreal this season and would have to fight through some serious pressure in one of the loudest arenas in the league, this time as an opponent. With Schneider in the lineup the Habs have a pretty ferocious power play against what has been a mediocre Caps penalty kill. And on paper they have more offensive weapons than the Rangers and could match up well with the Caps’ high-flying, high risk style of play, particularly with a new top line of Kovalev, Koivu and Tanguay that has clicked at the right time.

Why We Want Them: Even with a strong finish the Habs are still sort of backing into the playoffs – after being picked as a Cup contender before the season – and will probably be mentally and physically drained after the year they’ve had. Price has been consistently inconsistent this year as have Kovalev, Koivu and basically anyone in the bleu, blanc et rouge. Markov is out until at least the end of the month and Schneider, while back, is certainly not 100%; without those two the Montreal power play is much less terrifying.

Verdict: Games between the Caps and Rangers and the Caps and Canadiens have been some of the more entertaining, evenly played games of the season for all teams involved. Most of the games have been close and all have featured both good goaltending and unlikely heroes – either matchup would most likely be a great, entertaining series to watch. Still, the Caps can and should beat whomever they face without too much difficulty.

Of the two potential opponents, though, a Caps-Rangers matchup is probably preferable at this point. The Canadiens are limping into the postseason, there’s no question, but the way they’ve played lately and the talent they have in their lineup makes me think they’d be a far more dangerous opponent right now. Once the playoffs start what happened in the regular season no longer matters and the Habs have that potential to be an upset if they’re motivated to be one.

And while I think ultimately Jose could rise above the taunting he would no doubt receive at the hands of his former fans, it would be better if he didn’t have to face it at all. We need him mentally and physically strong if the Caps want him to be effective for any sort of run.

Plus…*sigh* it would be painful for yours truly, something I’m sure the Caps and Canadiens are intensely concerned with.

As for the Rangers, they have played moderately well under new head coach (and old friend) John Tortorella but they just don’t have the offensive depth to match the Caps and would rely too heavily on Lundqvist and their penalty kill, both of which have been solved numerous times by the Caps this season. Most of the Rangers roster has struggled with consistency this season and even the return of Sean Avery hasn’t sparked all that much in a team that is squeaking into the playoffs.

Agree? Disagree? Predictions?

It’s a lovely spring day, isn’t it? Perfect for a little pre-playoff excitement! Eleven games on the docket, ten of which will impact where teams will be seeded, who they’ll face or if they’ll even be getting to the playoffs at all, means tonight is a pretty thrilling night if you’re a hockey fan.

Except for that eleventh game; sorry, Stars-Avs – we’re just not that into you.

Here’s what could happen, just in the East:
- If the Hurricanes win and the Flyers lose, Carolina jumps into 4th place (although Philly still has a game in hand)
- If the Devils lose and the Flyers win the Atlantic Division race gets a little more interesting, as Philly pulls to within three points with two games left
- If the Devils lose, whether in regulation or in overtime, the Caps clinch 2nd seed
- If the Caps gain just one point, regardless of what the Devils do, they clinch the 2nd seed
- If the Hurricanes lose and the Penguins win, they’d be tied for 5th with one game remaining
- If the Hurricanes AND Flyers lose and the Penguins win, there would be three teams tied with 97 points (although again, Philly has that pesky game in hand on both)
- If the Penguins win they cannot finish lower than 6th
- If the Canadiens get at least a point they clinch a playoff spot
- If the Caps clinch second, the Canadiens win and the Rangers lose, the Caps will play the Habs in the first round
- If the Canadiens lose in regulation and the Rangers lose in overtime or the shootout, they’d each have 92 points, 41 wins…and one game left for all the marbles (or…8th place, whatever)
- If Florida loses they’re out; if Buffalo loses they’re out – of course when your playoff hopes are riding on the Canadiens and Rangers both losing, that optimism will tend to kick in
- If the Rangers lose and the Panthers win, they’ll be tied with 91 points apiece and one game left for each; the Rangers would have to lose both their games for Florida to have a shot
- And all of this means that depending on what happens tonight, Saturday and Sunday night could be either the most insanely intense night of hockey, scoreboard-watching and standings-hopping…or the most frustratingly pointless night of hockey ever.

…anyone dizzy yet?

Here’s the good news: the Caps are in the playoffs regardless. They’re the division champs regardless. They’ll be a second or third seed regardless. They’ll have home ice in the first round regardless. Life is good – enjoy your hockey tonight, folks! Have a fourth cup of wine for me.

You know, as a rule I try not to steal things from other people – after all, the insanity that takes place here in the Cheap Seats on a daily basis is my own, and I take pride in working tirelessly on somewhat original thoughts (if completely devoid of analysis or humor).

But today, in honor of our final regular season matchup avec les Canadiens, I thought I would take a page out of the book of one of my favorite Habs blogs, Four Habs Fans. So I present a gameday preview, FHF style. Enjoy!

Waiting in line details – 7:30 PM start, the only Phone Booth that matters. Game is on Comcast here in DC and on the NHL Network across the States, with a little TSN-lovin’ thrown in for our neighbo(u)rs to the North. The Caps are coming in off a sweep of the Sunshine State, while the Habs have lost, oh, about eleventy billion games in a row on the road.

…okay, they pulled out a win in Colorado. Woo.

Pay your cover charge to – Mais bien sur, allez a Four Habs Fans maintenant! The language may be saltier than a heaping helping of poutine and they do insist on posting pictures of nearly nude women for most Game Day Threads, but their irreverent humo(u)r and…er…sunny, positive outlook far overshadows that.

Oh, and boys? Just for that, have some shirtless Mike Komisarek:

Ah, and a shirtless (and well-rested) Alex Kovalev! Rawr.

Hot Caps to Watch – You can talk about Alex Ovechkin and Mike Green all you want (and I’m sure we will) but the to-be-named line of Fehr, Fedorov and Fleischmann is hot and getting hotter.

Skanky Caps to Watch – Brooks Laich has been a bit snake-bitten of late, although it’s not for lack of chances.

Hot sexy Habs to watch -Ummm…hang on, I can do this. How about good ol’ Saku? Scored a nice goal the other night, always a hard worker.

Skanky Habs to watch – Carey Price. Dude, what’s UP? Too much smoking? (Yeah, like no one in Montreal smokes – how do you say ‘hypocrite’ en francais?)

Line up du jour – Oh, who the hell knows anymore? Here’s a guesstimate:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Semin
Fleischmann-Fedorov-Fehr
Steckel-Nylander-Laich
Brashear-Gordon-Bradley

Morrisonn-Green
Poti-Schultz
Jurcina-Erskine

…yeah, okay, we’ll go with that. Sure.

Post-game adult entertainment – Oh, go buy a magazine. We women have a collective headache.

Bob Gainey isn’t the type of guy to hold flashy press conferences or pull publicity stunts – it’s just not his style.

So it no doubt surprised just about everyone when Gainey showed up at the Canadiens’ practice today, the day before their final game of the regular season against the Caps, and announced that Alex Kovalev would not be suiting up for tomorrow’s game.

He also will not be in the lineup for the Penguins game the following night, and Gainey won’t even confirm if he’s possible for Saturday’s game against the Sens.

Is he injured? No. Traded? No – not unless Gainey’s lying about having gotten no questions about Kovalev’s trade availability, which given the way Kovalev has performed this year I doubt he is. Instead in a move that is probably supposed to spark something in his continually slumping team, Kovy is being benched.

Indefinitely.

From the incomparable Pat Hickey at Habs Inside/Out:

“Gainey said he decided that Kovalev should take a few days away from the team. Speaking in French, Gainey said he told Kovalev the team has no need of Kovalev’s services the way he’s currently playing. He added that Kovalev was tired and wasn’t playing with any emotion.”

…fascinating.

Incidentally, also out of the lineup against the Caps is last-minute hero from the last Caps-Habs clash, Sergei Kostitsyn – he was sent down to Hamilton of the AHL today.

I repeat…fascinating. Combine that with the recent pickup of Schneider and one has to wonder – are we watching a brilliant sports psychologist mastermind at work in Bob Gainey? Or are these the final acts of a desperate man on a sinking ship?

We’ll find out tomorrow night. (And if your French is any good you can read more about it here.)

Before tonight’s game, I, being the ever optimistic Caps fan that I am, remarked that I felt an impending sense of doom about the evening.

That must have been the Canadiens fan in me, cowering in fear.

Who knows what gives a team like this, so banged up and full of holes, the ability to pull together and earn a tremendous win. Maybe it was the panic or the desperation of missing so many players. Maybe it was the energy of the crowd. Maybe it was just Jose wanting to stick it to the bleu, blanc et rouge once and for all.

Whatever it was, the Caps came out flying against an elite Montreal team, weathered the storm of the second period, and helped their goaltender to his first shutout as a Cap.

And make no mistake about it, Jose earned that shutout and then some, making the easy saves and the spectacular ones. It was good for his confidence and for the team in front of him – but it was also good for any Caps fans still questioning the acquisition of #60.

After an inauspicious start to the season, Jose has consistently put in good performances and finally tonight he earned the ultimate reward. There really was something great about watching him silence the jeers of the visiting Canadiens fans and do it in such spectacular fashion.

What more is there to say? What more can you say about a goalie who many had counted out coming back with an incredible performance? What more can you say about the offensive talents of Tomas Fleischmann and Alex Ovechkin and their cohorts in red? What more can you say about the dedication to defense up and down the bench? What more can you say about the effort and heart that went into getting an important two points?

Nothing. There’s nothing more to say except savor those two points, Caps fans. They’re something special indeed – a sign of good things to come, whether it’s the return of walking wounded to the lineup over the next few weeks or the emergence of the next great Caps blueliner over the next few years.

On to Columbus!