Who To Cheer For (Like You Need To Know)

Really, you need to know huh? Okay, well first let's recap what happened last night.

Tampa Bay 3, Boston 1 - Great! The Capitals best chance to make the playoffs is to catch both the Bruins and Sabres hitting a lull down the stretch. The Bolts help the Caps out a little by keeping them with a couple of games of the black and gold.

Atlanta 6, Calgary 4 - Eh! It has no bearing on the standings for the Caps, but the Flames did blow a 3 goal lead in this game and if the Thrashers (or the Dizzy Birds as my dad now calls them) gain some confidence, that could bode trouble for the Caps since they are in town tonight. The Capitals need some of that killer instinct and keep the Dizzy Birds from gaining any momentum.

New Jersey 4, Minnesota 3 SO - Good! Anytime the Penguins get unseated from first in their division and/or conference is a good thing in my book. Not much bearing on the Caps though.

Pretty exciting stuff, but here is who you should cheer for tonight:

NY Rangers - They take on Florida tonight and the Caps need some breathing room in the conference to make a run. The Rangers have been playing so-so of late, while the Panthers are playing better and better hockey since Vokoun has taken a few nights off (coincidence, I think not!) If the Rangers can pull a win out in FLA that helps the Caps a whole lot.

Carolina - Yes I said it. If you are a Caps fan, you should be cheering on the 'Canes. Why? The likelihood of the Caps catching the Hurricanes is closer to slim and none, but Carolina will play the Buffaslugs tonight and the Caps could surpass the slumping Sabres if they lose to the Stiff Winders. Even though that pulls Carolina further away from the Caps, it will make it easier on them to take over 9th and a step closer to 8th in the standings.

And the Capitals - Well of course you are going to cheer for them, the good guys. The Caps hate the Dizzy Birds as much as Tom Poti hates nuts. That sounded bad, anyway, one good thing the Caps have going for them is their power play which seems to be working all of a sudden. They were 2 for 4 against Calgary and 2 for 7 against the Penguins. Plus the penalty kill is getting the job done. The Whirly Chickens maybe out of the playoff race, they would still like to play spoiler for the Caps.