The Leafs' charge to a possible playoff spot is just one of a few late races going on in the NHL.
One more night of hockey and so many thoughts. Here are a few:
THE AMAZING RACE I: The debate rages on whether or not Toronto Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson is a genius for resting young goaltender James Reimer for a game the team ultimately lost 4-0 to Florida or is a bum for not playing the kid in a game his team desperately needed to win.
Regardless, the Leafs have bounced back from the defeat with three straight wins including two on the road to keep their playoff hopes alive. With the two teams -- Carolina and Buffalo -- ahead of them having played two fewer games, the odds are still very much against Toronto making it into the top eight in the Eastern Conference, but it sure is fun watching them fight and scrap down the stretch.
The same can be said for the Calgary Flames in the Western Conference, although three straight losses have put a damper on their late surge. Both teams have massive games Saturday night -- Toronto playing in Detroit and Calgary playing in Edmonton.
Ultimately both teams may wind up looking back on the stretch run of the regular season being their "playoffs," but who knows, with a few more wins and some timely losses by the teams ahead of them, perhaps a miracle is in the works. And you know what people will say if they get in: Anything can happen.
THE AMAZING RACE II: Don't look now, but Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning has a serious challenger for the Rocket Richard Trophy. Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks is breathing down his neck. Stamkos leads the NHL with 43 goals while Perry is one behind at 42.
Stamkos hasn't scored in his last four games and has just four goals in his last 20. Perry, meanwhile, has been red hot riding a four-game goal-scoring streak -- during which he has six goals -- and he has 14 goals in his last 20 games.
With 40 goals in 74 games, Vancouver's Daniel Sedin is also very much in the race. An interesting note, Perry is the only player in the top 30 in scoring to be in triple digits in penalty minutes with 100.
PRICE IS WRONG: Wow, what a difference a week makes. Last week I was trumpeting Montreal Canadiens goaltender for both the Vezina and Hart Trophies. Now Price has dropped three games in a row; twice being pulled after allowing five goals, and has lost five of his last seven games.
You can't judge a player's entire body or work based on a one-week stretch, but unfortunately when the wheels come off late in the season, that's what many who vote on the NHL's major awards will remember. The good news for Price in the race for hardware is he remains tied for the league lead in wins with 34 and is tied for second in shutouts with eight.
NASHVILLE CATS: The NHL's most anonymous team, the Nashville Predators, is also the league's hottest team. With five straight wins the Predators are sitting comfortably in sixth place in the Western Conference and look very much like they'll make the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons. The big question is will this finally be the year the Predators win a round?
Nashville will never wow anyone with its offensive prowess, but if Pekka Rinne plays the way he has this season the Predators are very capable of knocking off a higher seed. Rinne ranks No. 2 to Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins in both goals-against average and save percentage. For all his hard work over the years, the hockey gods owe Nashville coach Barry Trotz at least one series win.
DEEP FREEZE: If you want to know why the Ottawa Senators have suffered through a miserable season, look no further than their blueline. The Senators have the three worst plus-minus players in the NHL. Chris Phillips leads the race for the green jacket at minus-33 while Erik Karlsson is minus-30 and Filip Kuba is minus-29.
LATE BLOOMER: Al Montoya looked like a blue-chipper when the New York Rangers chose him sixth overall in the 2004 NHL entry draft. He never played a game on Broadway. Having bounced around the minors and played in five games with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2008-09, Montoya may be on his last chance to make it as an NHLer with the New York Islanders and he's making the most of his opportunity. The 26-year-old Chicago native is 8-4-4 with the Islanders with an impressive 2.35 goals-against average and .923 save percentage. Montoya will be a restricted free agent this summer.
