I hate Lindy Ruff

Why, Lindy?? Why do you serve us up Ryan Miller, and then two days later give the Bruins Patrick Lalime? What gives, Lindy Ruff? Come on, man! Dick move!

You're a dick, Lindy Ruff.

And so, it comes to this. The Bruins earned another two points last night, bringing them that much closer to out of reach. Somehow, the Habs staved off clinching for another day, so they remain in our picture, which now looks like this:

6. Boston - 87, 2 GR (CAR, WSH)
7. Montréal - 87, 1 GR (TOR)
8. Philadelphia - 86, 2 GR (NYR, NYR)
---------------
9. NEW YORK RANGERS - 84, 2 GR (PHI, PHI)

We have the tiebreaker over the Bruins, but not the Canadiens, so the Canadiens need one point to be officially out of reach for us, while the Bruins need two. So this is the deal:

If we sweep the Flyers:
-We pass the Flyers if at least one of our wins was in regulation. If both games go to overtime, they stay ahead of us.
-We pass the Bruins if they manage to lose to both the Hurricanes and the Capitals, and they lose at least one of them in regulation. If they win one, or send both to overtime, they stay ahead of us.
-We pass the Canadiens if they lose to the Maple Leafs in regulation. If they send that game to overtime, they stay ahead of us.

If we win one and lose one in overtime against the Flyers:
-The Flyers stay ahead of us.
-We pass the Bruins if they manage to lose to both the Hurricanes and the Capitals in regulation. If they even send one of those games to overtime, they stay ahead of us.
-The Canadiens stay ahead of us.

If we do any worse than that:
-All three teams stay ahead of us.

That's how important every point is this weekend. Theoretically speaking, we can still fall anywhere from 6th to 9th, with a little help from some other teams. If we get no help at all from anyone but ourselves, but we win our two games in regulation, we still end up in 8th. So, tomorrow, we can talk about the Leafs and the 'Canes, but tonight, it's all about us.

In other news about tonight, rumor has it Jeff Carter is going to be a game-time decision for the Flyers tonight. That's not the best news for us. Just a heads-up.

Also tonight, being the last home game of the regular season, we'll be giving out the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. Named after a season ticket-holding NYPD officer who was shot and relatedly paralyzed on the job (and who is still very much alive and attending Ranger games), this award has been given out annually since the '87-'88 season to the Ranger who best "goes above and beyond the call of duty." Any thoughts on who it goes to? Would you laugh if it were Brandon Prust? I'm betting it goes a second time to Lundqvist or Callahan. Or possibly to Prospal. Money's probably on Hank.

Oh my god it's basically the playoffs people. Let's Go Rangers!