Well, maybe but I just couldn’t help wondering these couple of crazy things:

-If my team lost as badly as Steve Lepore’s did tonight on the heels of losing to the freaking Islanders following another Ranger defeat, I’d be pretty ticked.

There’s also this. If your team keeps losing, they can still wind up missing the playoffs. Especially with the Caps red hot looking like they won’t lose the rest of the way along with the Panthers winning yet again tonight. Figure the Sabres to bounceback too.

Believe it or not, it’s actually a slim possibility. Keep losing games and they fall back to the pack just looking to hang on.

So, you can sit there and talk up their cushion sounding like Marty Brodeur after another Ranger loss but facts are facts. They’re not scoring goals and breaking down at the wrong time. Could The Franchise be getting a little tired. There’s been Kevin Weekes sightings two straight nights. How many games in a row can Marty start anyway?

In this topsy turvy conference, nothing’s really as it seems. The final two weeks are unpredictable.

Here’s one thing I do know which is suddenly a lot more realistic. While the Rangers will be playing host to the Flyers this Tuesday in one pivotal game, the Devs will have to see Evgeni Malkin and the Pens once again in Newark.

A Blueshirt regulation win and a Pen one suddenly puts them a point behind for second. It also would give Pittsburgh a three-point cushion to play with for the Atlantic which could loom large down the stretch.

AP Photo by Keith Srakocic

-Kudos to Malkin for putting himself right back in the Hart race with a virtuoso third period performance in which the second-year Russian pivot netted three points including his club best 44th via a power play to reach the century mark.

I know this might sound crazier than what I wrote above but I’m starting to believe the Pens are a better team without Sidney Crosby. Look how well they’ve performed without Sid The Kid. How do you explain that all three of their highest scoring games (seven goals in each) came without the 2006-07 Hart recipient?

They seem to play better and Malkin raises his game to a ridiculous level that I don’t even think Crosby could. Who’s the real leader there anyway?

I say Malkin! And with that, you can officially send me to the nuthouse if ya like.

Peace.