Sorting out the seeds – Going into the last day of regular season NHL play, Devils are finished but the Islanders have one more game to play, against the Flyers. If the Islanders win, they end up fifth in the Eastern Conference and play Toronto (100 points); if they lose or tie, they end up sixth and play Carolina (probably 92 points with a win tomorrow over Atlanta). Whichever team the Islanders don’t play, the Devils do. Carolina is the higher seed, even though they have fewer points than Toronto, because they won their division and Toronto came in behind the hugely surprising Conference champion Boston Bruins. Whichever team ends up playing Carolina in the first round has to be the favorite even though they give up home ice. So, the question is, will the Islanders show up for the game tomorrow and play for pride or leave it in the dressing room and play for the matchup?
Update, 4/14: The Islanders played for pride and beat the Flyers 3-1 this afternoon. They end up with their best record in years and will meet Toronto in the first round of the playoffs, leaving Carolina to the Devils.
BillSaysThis 