Welcome to 10th Place

Since we could not get any help last night from either the Thrashers or the Predators, we are sitting in 10th place looking up at both the Capitals and the Flyers. It happens though when you aren't playing for 3 days. That changes tonight with the final non-divisional matchup of the season against the Lightning. The Lightning are essentially playing the role of spoiler for the rest of the season, sitting dead last in the conference and just playing for the Stamkos pick.

Since I have not written here for a while, I figured that I would mention the most important news that has come across the wire being that Teppo came back the arena yesterday to skate for the first time in probably three months. He says that he is ready to come back, and quoted as saying "I'm back." The question is if he will be ready to play at all for the rest of the season. He has skated around but probably would not be in game shape anywhere near to end of the season. While having him back would help ease the pain of the infirmary ward that the defenseman have seemed to found, he cant be all that effective to play.

The Sabres will keep the same lineup for tonight's game. Basically, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That is the philosophy that coach Ruff is taking but has also said that he has no problem benching someone to replace them with Timmy. Hopefully this rest will give Timmy some strength back in his hip because the last couple of games he has looked awful sore and just not game ready. On the side of the Lightning, the only real news is whether RW Andre Roy will be back for the Lightning after essentially blowing his top during a Flyers game on March 6th. After losing a fight against Riley Cote, Roy lost his cool when the Flyers were repeatedly showing the fight over again on the Jumbotron and he motioned over to the Flyers bench with a throat-slashing motion and whatnot. The Lightning gave him a week suspension to decide whether he would be back on the team for the rest of the season. The week is up and it looks that the decision will be more of a game time decision.

Game time is at 7:oo on MSG.