Wow, that was like watching a clinic defensively. Who the frack knew? The Penguins limited the usually shot-happy Devils to 30 - which is pretty low considering how many they usually throw blindly at the net. Ryan Malone scores on a stupid penalty taken by Patrik Elias is really the only mistake the Devils made tonight, aside from stepping on the ice.

Yeah, that call on Asham on the supposed goal seems fishy, but well, what can you do if it doesn’t pump you up enough to try and get you to score another?

At The Garden on Thursday, and the Rangers can overtake us if they win. Brent Sutter and Co. have some thinking to do before then, with the Rangers 6-0 so far vs. the Devils this season. It’s a must that we are still ahead of the Rangers after this one. I’ll take an OT/SO Loss if I can. Anything to keep us in 4th. It’s simply necessary for this team’s psyche.

Marian Hossa, who was a horse tonight, got rewarded with an empty netter late in front of 16,000+ at The Rock. The Pens now hold both the goal-differential and points in the season series tie-breakers vs. NJ with the win.

Add Michal Rozsival to the New York Rangers’ injury list, at least for tonight. The Rangers’ number one defenseman is out of tonight’s game with what is being said to be an “upper leg strain.” Good news is that Tom Renney said that it is not serious, and that he shouldn’t miss much time.

Rozy will be sitting in the press box with Blair Betts and Scott Gomez who will be sitting out tonight as well. Betts is out for another couple of weeks, but Gomez hasn’t ruled out playing on Thursday, which is a good sign that he is not seriously injured after going hard into the boards last game. Jason Strudwick and his ’stache will be the only healthy scratches.

This makes for a whole mess of new line combinations. Here they are:

Straka - Dubinsky - Jagr

Shanahan - Avery - Dawes

Callahan - Drury - Prucha

Orr - Hollweg - Sjorstrom

On defense:

Tyutin - Girardi

Backman - Staal

Malik - Mara

And the power plays are each getting overhauled as well:

Straka - Dubinsky - Jagr

Mara - Backman

And:

Avery - Drury - Shanahan

Tyutin - Girardi

No Dawes or Callahan on the power play, and it’s again two distinct styles. The Jagr powerplay will be a puck cycling, East -West game, while the Shanahan unit will get pucks to the net.

Henrik Lundqvist will be in net tonight, and he’ll hope to do better than his last game against these pesky Flyers.

The game is tonight at 7:30 on Vs., so no Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti, but at least tonight I’ll get to see the game on t.v. Enjoy the game.

AP Photo by Ryan Remiorz  of The Canadien Press

There won’t be any heartbreaking conclusion to the regular season this year at least anyway. Well, up in Montreal at least as one of the NHL’s best stories continued with the Canadiens finally having what it took to get the better of rival Ottawa putting a seven spot on the board in a 7-5 playoff-clinching home win last night.

“It’s a big credit for all the players here,” defenseman Francis Bouillon told the Canadian Press after contributing a goal.

“It’s a big surprise—nobody was expecting that from the beginning of the season and we worked pretty hard all season long to be there. Tonight was a great victory for us.”

The Habs entered having dropped the first five to the Senators making many wonder if they could beat them. Proving a point, they scored the first three in a dominant first period forcing Martin Gerber to be yanked. Andrei Kostistyn notched his 24th and 25th sandwiched around Long Island native Chris Higgins’ 23rd.

Ray Emery wasn’t much better allowing four more in the middle stanza including an Andrei Markov power play tally and Tom Kostopoulos’ shorthanded marker with 46 seconds left which made it 7-1.

Outplayed severely, the Sens responded with a dominant third outscoring Les Habitants 4-0 and outshooting them 14-2. Sizzling sniper Dany Heatley tallied twice to pull within one of 40. The ex-Thrasher’s hit for 50 his first two seasons up in Kanata but won’t reach that mark again due to missing double digits.

“We kind of got a little settled down and too relaxed and they really picked up their game,” Kostopoulos later said. “The combination of the two led to a strong third period for them and a weak one for us but we were fortunate that we had a big enough lead to hold onto the game.”

Jason Spezza’s 32nd via the power play with 1:58 left made it interesting but Calder hopeful Carey Price made 31 saves to pickup his 20th win of the season.

Notes: Montreal leading scorer Alexei Kovalev notched two assists hiking his point total to 79 (33-46-79). Thirty-two points more than the previous season. … Ottawa team captain Daniel Alfredsson had three helpers in a losing cause. … Senator deadline D pickup Mike Commodore registered an assist for a second consecutive game after having previously gone 23 straight without a point. … With a goal and assist, Markov increased his career season to 57 points (16-41-57) boosting his chances of being nominated for the Norris. … Gerber made 11 saves while replacement Emery fared little better turning aside 14 of 18 for the Sens, who now trail the Canadiens by seven points in the Northeast. … Montreal also got unexpected help from the Islanders, who got a goal and assist from captain Bill Guerin and 28 saves from Wade Dubielewicz in a 4-1 home win over the Atlantic-leading Penguins. The Pens trail the Habs by three for the conference lead and take a two-point lead into New Jersey later tonight. The Devils are seeking redemption for their worst defeat of the season (7-1 road blowout Saturday). … At least 14 Canadiens got on the scoresheet with just captain Saku Koivu, Steve Begin, Ryan O’Byrne and Josh Gorges failing to do so.

Alexander Ovechkin’s season is getting plenty of recognition and why not. It’s not every year arguably the best player in the game loses his top center (Michael Nylander), inks a record contract and carries his team on his back from worst into playoff contention.

Good pal Greg Wyshynski of AOL FanHouse who covers AO down in D.C. has more on why the 22 year-old Russian deserves to win the Hart Trophy along with other possible candidates including Calgary’s Jarome Iginla fresh off a natural hat trick boosting his team’s postseason chances.

Yahoo’s Ross McKeon pushed the affable 30 year-old power forward for the award citing the obvious. That Iginla’s team will make the playoffs. Something which isn’t a given for Ovechkin and the Caps.

I’ve always been a big fan of Iginla’s and wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him get nominated along with the dynamic Russian duo of Ovechkin and Pitt’s Evgeni Malkin. The Calgary right wing has been on fire matching the color of his team’s jersey with 12 points (8-4-12) in the last seven.

His torrid play has him now third in goals (48) and points (91) trailing only Ovechkin (60-46-106) and Malkin (44-58-102) entering tonight. Also boosting his candidacy is that his nine game-winners is tied for second in the league, just trailing Ovechkin’s 10.

The problem with just taking the top three scorers for League MVP is that there are other worthy candidates such as Detroit’s Nick Lidstrom (8-57-65, +40 in 70 GP) plus teammates Pavel Datsyuk (31-59-90, +39, 6 GW) & Henrik Zetterberg (40-45-85, +29, 15 PP, 6 GW) Ottawa’s Jason Spezza (31-55-86, +22 in 69 GP) plus linemates Daniel Alfredsson (38-43-81, 9 PP, 7 SH, 5 GW) and Dany Heatley (37-40-77, +31, 12 PP, 8 GW in 64 GP) along with San Jose’s Joe Thornton (21-64-85, +17).

Other players who deserve mention are New Jersey’s Marty Brodeur (40 W, 2.17 GAA, .920 Save Pct., 4 SHO), Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo (34 W, 2.22 GAA, .922 Save Pct., 6 SHO), Minnesota right wing Marian Gaborik (38-37-75, +15, 6 GW) Montreal forward Alexei Kovalev (33-44-77, +17, 16 PP), Anaheim forward Ryan Getzlaf (23-54-77) , Carolina’s Eric Staal (35-40-75, 7 GW) and Dallas pivot Mike Ribeiro (27-51-78, +20).

Had Flyer center Mike Richards (26-44-70, 5 SH, 72 PIM) not missed time, you could toss his name in there as well.

Maybe the best player not listed so far is Toronto franchise center Mats Sundin. In 72 games on a defensively challenged team hit with injuries, the veteran future Hall of Famer has 32 goals and 45 assists for 77 points along with a respectable plus-14 rating.

Too bad he plays on the Maple Leafs.

More on Ovechkin reaching 60:

FROM THE STAT WIZARDS AT ELIAS SPORTS BUREAU
Alex Ovechkin scored his 59th and 60th goals of the season in Washington’s win at Atlanta on Friday night. Ovechkin, who was 22 years, 186 days old when he did it, is the fifth-youngest player in NHL history to reach the 60-goal mark in a season.

The four players younger than Ovechkin at the time of their 60th goal were Wayne Gretzky in 1981-82 (20 years, 359 days) and 1982-83 (22-41), Pavel Bure in 1992-93 (22-11), Mike Bossy in 1978-79 (22-62) and Mario Lemieux in 1987-88 (22-167). 

AP Photo by Mark Humphrey

“I know it’s extra pressure, but I have to play the same. If you think of pressure, it’s hard for you. I have to play the same way — play more, play better.”-Washington superstar Alexander Ovechkin after signing record 13-year $124 million contract back on Jan.13

He takes his stride gliding on the ice like the wind making defenders miss one by one before snapping a lightning rocket of a shot past another helpless goalie who may as well be naked as it lands in the back of the net top shelf.

On many a night, that is an accurate description for Washington superstar Alexander Ovechkin. In only his third professional season, the former Capitals’ 2004 first overall selection has lit up opponents like a Christmas tree.

In his team’s latest big win- 5-3 of the comeback variety over Atlanta, the electrifying 22 year-old Russian sniper was at his very best scoring twice and assisting on two other goals in leading the Caps to their fifth win in the last six drawing them even closer to the final playoff spot now occupied by Boston. Washington trails the Bruins by two points with one fewer game remaining (six to Boston’s seven).

During this month, the former 2005-06 Calder winner has been on fire. In 11 March games thus far, the NHL’s leading scorer has already posted 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points along with an impressive plus-14 rating. Just in case you’re wondering, AO has eight multi-point games this month and has also scored four power play goals and notched two game-winners hiking his total to a league best 10 for the season.

In the Mar.21 win, Ovechkin’s two goals gave him 60 in 2007-08 allowing him to become the first NHLer to hit that elusive mark since then Pens’ dynamic duo Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr did so in 1995-96 back when it was much easier to score. Especially when one considers how much better conditioned and coached the players are today along with a caliber of netminding which has never been seen before forcing the league to alter rules just to open up the game again. Seeing how the clutch and grab style is coming back, it won’t be long before we’re reevaluating things but that’s a rehashed topic for another day.

Since he inked that record deal to stay in the nation’s capital for the next 13 years, Ovechkin has been on a mission to prove that he’s worth every penny. At this point, who could argue with the results?

The Great Alexander (2007-08 season breakdown)

                                          GP      G       A    Pts   Pts/Gm   +/-   GW

Before 1/13 extension:   43      32     20    52   1.21          6        4

After 1/13 extension:     33      28     26    54   1.63       17       6

Since inking the $124 million record deal, he’s matched a season high with two five point games including his second four-goal game of the season notching the OT winner in an exciting 5-4 home win over now Eastern leading Montreal on Jan.31.

Ovechkin has posted at least two points or better in 18 contests after agreeing to the new contract. By comparison, he had 12 multiple point nights prior to a Jan.13 home defeat to the Flyers.

What I admire most about the Moscow native who already has 158 career goals along with 146 helpers for 304 points in 239 games is that he understands what his responsibilities are and seems to thrive even with all the extra pressure which comes with it.

“I don’t know. I don’t think about it. I just do my job,” the focused Russian superstar told reporters after reaching 60 goals in leading the Caps to their latest big win as they try to make the playoffs after at one point having the league’s worst record.

“I don’t think about personal goals. It’s just the team. We have to take every point we can get.”

So far, he’s more than living up his end of the bargain. With the remaining six games against the division with three more on the road starting in Raleigh at Southeast division leader Carolina Tuesday, Ovechkin must continue to lead his club if they’re to see their first postseason in five years. That’s a given. 

How great would it be for the NHL to have arguably the game’s best player in the playoffs along with Russian comrade Evgeni Malkin. Talk about a jolt for the Eastern Conference. We’ve already seen just how special Malkin can be on his own trailing Ovechkin by four points fresh off a three point night in a rout of New Jersey for the league scoring race.

There’s also that Hart race which is a pretty big deal as most likely, either player will become the first from their country to take home NHL MVP since now Ovechin veteran teammate Sergei Fedorov accomplished the feat with Detroit in 1993-94.

For now, the Ovechkin Show continues to go on for at least six more games. Hopefully, it will take it’s act to the Spring.

Sidney who?

The Rangers and Scott Gomez can rest easy, as they dodged a bullet this weekend. After Gomez’s scary collision into the boards on Friday night (which, thanks to the Knicks, I had to watch on youtube.com and Sportscenter) the second line centerman said today that he just has some bruising and that he may be able to play as soon as Tuesday when the Rangers take on the Flyers again.

This is good news for the Rangers, as losing Gomez would have been a huge blow to the Rangers’ playoff run. Gomez has possibly been the Rangers’ best player this season, or at least the most consistent. He has newfound chemistry with Brendan Shanahan and Nigel Dawes, and has turned into a real effective penalty killer.

Should Gomez not be 100% on Tuesday, Petr Prucha looks to get back into action, possibly even at center.  Paul Mara is also only days away from being back in game shape and could and should step in for Christian Backman in a game or two down the stretch. Backman had his best game as a Ranger with three assists on Friday, but remains a little sketchy in his own zone. Henrik Lundqvist should be back in net for the rematch, but Stephen Valiquette did another fine job on Friday. Let’s hope he gets resigned.

Speaking of resigning, Shanahan said today that he was looking to play again next season. While it is evident that Shanny has lost a step or two late in the season, he remains a top penalty killer, veteran leader and still has pop left in his shot. I’d take him back in a reduced role for a reduced salary next season. Give him two million and play him on the third line. If he becomes a liability, you sit him every once in a while. With Marek Malik, Paul Mara, Michal Rozsival, Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery coming off the books, you have some money to spend. Bring back Rozy and Avery, giving them each three million. Give Shanny two and if Jagr wants back in, three and incentives. That should put the Rangers on the brink of the cap, although I would have to dig a little deeper, and I’m not ready for that right now.

I’ll try to check in after I read the practice reports tomorrow, if not, talk to you all on Tuesday.

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. 

Well, can’t complain too much about a 3-game losing streak that still has us within 3 points of the conference lead. The way teams go up and down in the standings, to still be in 4th and with a chance to get back at the Penguins on Tuesday, let them have their fun. This one got out of hand in the 3rd, and there’s not much to describe before that, so let’s just post the scoresheet and move on.

PIT:
Ruutu (5)
Malone (25, 26)
Dupuis (12)
Malkin (43, 44)
Sykora (27)

NJ:
Gionta (21) 

High School High: Here are the finals from the NJSIAA Hockey Championships, played in front of 8,200 fans at The Rock this afternoon:

Non-Public: Delbarton 5, St. Augustine 1

Public B: Kinnelon 5, Jefferson 1

Public A: Ridge 4, Watchung Hills 0

Something had to give for the Flyers against Stephen Valiquette and the Rangers at home. In another unpredictable contest against their nemesis, it finally did thanks to a shootout last night which allowed them to pick up a huge extra point in a hard fought 4-3 win, snapping New York’s recent dominance at Wachovia Center.

The Rangers had taken the previous seven in Philadelphia. That they even got the latest game between the Atlantic rivals was a chore in itself. Twice in a wild third which featured five goals in a 7:41 span, Tom Renney’s club fought back to tie it.

Following Daniel Briere’s first of two goals which gave the Flyers a two-goal lead, the Blueshirts responded thanks to Marek Malik’s second of the season. The much maligned defenseman who was responsible for both Flyer goals at that point came on a line change and took a Jaromir Jagr cross ice pass wristing one past Martin Biron to cut the deficit in half just 1:11 later.

Up till that point, the Flyers had played a smart disciplined defensive game taking a page from the Devils. In many ways, the tightly contested sixth regular season match-up imitated the Rangers’ prior game in which they dug deep rallying past the Devs.

However, that changed once Briere and Malik traded goals as things suddenly opened up. When rookie Nigel Dawes one-timed home a nice Christian Backman backhand feed for his 12th 1:48 after Malik’s tally, suddenly the game was knotted at two.

The game continued to open up. Following a crucial Jason Smith diving block of a Brendan Shanahan shot ticketed for the back of the net, the Flyers took advantage when Briere got position on Malik to stuff home a Scott Hartnell rebound for his 28th temporarily restoring a one-goal lead with 3:37 left.

Recently, the Flyers had had trouble protecting late third period leads. A recent OT loss to Boston comes to mind in which they tied it in the final 35 seconds and got a big extra point on an Aaron Ward winner. That disturbing trend continued thanks to an inspired shift by Jagr’s line.

Able to generate quality chances with the desperate Flyers scrambling around, eventually a key pass from Backman got to an open Jagr at the right of Biron. The Czech’s backhand went off Smith ricocheting into the net to once again tie it up with 1:51 to go in regulation.

With the momentum, they nearly went ahead on the next shift as a reconstructed Chris Drury line with Ryan Callahan and Fredrik Sjostrom was buzzing as groans came down from a concerned Flyer crowd.

Renney was forced to alter the lines due to losing two of his centers including top scorer Scott Gomez in the first when he hit a rut in the ice and went hard into the boards back in the first leaving with what was termed as an upper body injury. Well, it is crunch time. So, your guess is as good as mine.

Hopefully for the Rangers, the 67-point top pivot won’t be sidelined long as they also are without fourth line center and key penalty killing anchor Blair Betts who had minor surgery yesterday and will miss at least the next two weeks.

It forced Renney to play Ryan Hollweg at center on a make shift energy line with enforcer Colton Orr and Sjostrom before the Swede was moved up due to Gomez’ injury.

The game wound up in overtime. A touchy Marc Staal penalty gave the Flyers a golden chance to win it but their four-on-three didn’t come close thanks to some stellar penalty killing by a unit led by Drury, Malik and Michal Rozsival. They were even able to clear the puck and change for Callahan, Backman and Dan Girardi.

New York got a late opportunity but predictably accomplished zilch in the final 36 seconds forcing it to the skill competition. It hadn’t been too kind to the Flyers who entered just 1-5 including two of those defeats at the hands of the Rangers with Biron in for both.

However, this time they had the right recipe. Opening scorer Mike Richards (breakaway top shelf in first) this time went to the backhand tucking it past Valiquette’s five-hole. Having victimized Biron twice on the glove, leadoff Ranger shooter Brendan Shanahan changed it up but his backhand deke try missed wide.

When Jeff Carter went to the backhand and scored, the Flyers led 2-0 needing just one Biron stop on Ranger closer Dawes to win. They got it when the ex-Sabre netminder got just enough of a Dawes’ low shot to finally give his team a home win against the Rangers.

Notes: Gomez was x-rayed. The Rangers won’t make an announcement until some time this weekend. … Backman notched three assists for his first helpers as a Ranger earning the game’s 2nd Star. His other point as a Ranger also came against the Flyers when he scored a goal in a 5-4 win on home ice on Mar.2. … Jagr’s goal was his 19th making it only the fourth he’s scored in the last 25 games. The worst such stretch since his rookie season back in 1990-91 with Pittsburgh. No.68 finished with a goal and assist. He needs one more goal to make it 17 seasons of at least 20-or-more for his career. … With two goals, Briere was tabbed the game’s 1st Star. The ex-Sabre pivot has been red hot with six goals in his last 10 games also adding four assists for a point-a-game. … The win put the Flyers a point up on Boston for seventh in the East. … Valiquette suffered his first loss in Philly but was again razor sharp making 27 saves. Biron turned aside 23 of 26. … Without Betts, the Ranger PK killed off all six Flyer power plays. Blueshirts took the collar again in three tries. … NYR return to MSG to host Philly Tuesday night in a rematch while Flyers host the Islanders tomorrow.

Ranger point makes Atlantic even closer: Though far from their best, the Rangers’ point was a crucial one allowing them to gain ground on the first place Devils, who somehow lost at home to the Islanders last night.

From the highlights, one could easily conclude that Wade Dubielewicz stole that one. He stoned the Devils several times finishing with 33 saves to continue his dominance over New Jersey.

The Devs are still tied with the Pens for first at 91 points and 42 wins apiece with each having eight remaining including a huge game a couple of hours from now at Mellon Arena. With 88 points and seven left all against the division including two against both the Pens and Devils, the Rangers sit three out.

It will come down to who plays the best against the division down the stretch. The Rangers are an Atlantic best 17-6-2. We’ll see if they can keep it up in what should amount to a very entertaining couple of weeks as the scramble continues.

Well, I’ll tell you what, from the perspective of someone at the game, you knew it was coming. The second Kyle Okposo’s helmet fell off, I told my buddy “Watch him, he’s going to score his first NHL go–” and there it was. Okposo, the 1st-rounder out of Minnesota, had beaten Marty Brodeur on a great shot. The Islanders would go on to win 3-1.

The Islanders took a 1-0 when Blake Comeau beat Brodeur, who had lost an edge and was clearly not on his game due to it, early in the first. The Devils responded mid-way with a goal from Travis Zajac on the power play. Things were fairly quiet afterwards, save for a few fights that the Devils got pretty clear victories, including a one-punch knockout authored by Aaron Asham on rookie Matthew Spiller that had the upper deck at The Rock chanting his name.

Brodeur left the game in the second period, to give Kevin Weekes a rare appearance in Newark. All his starts have been on the road, and he’s only relieved Marty once at Prudential Center. Brodeur returned to a standing-’O', half for him and half for the well-liked Weekes. The Isles would go on to win a game that neither team really wanting to, adding an empty netter and taking it 3-1.

Goal Disallowed: The Devils had a goal disallowed from Sergei Brylin due to the net being off the moorings. From where I was sitting, it was the right call, and Brent Sutter agreed in his post-game presser.

Three For Fighting: The other two fights featured David Clarkson taking on Isles captain Bill Guerin, the closest of the three, and Rod Pelley laying siege to Joseph Vasicek as if Big Joe had said something about Pelley’s mom

Attendance Up: The Rock had a good crowd of 17,075 tonight. They currently are averaging 15,387 a game, 87% capacity. 23rd in Attendance, but 20th in capacity. Their attendance is up from 14,176 at The Swamp, which held 2,000 more than The Rock, last season.

School’s In: The NJSIAA Hockey Championships will take place at 2PM, 4PM, and 6PM at The Rock tomorrow. Tickets are $10, $5 for Students at the Prudential Center box office.

Next Game: The Devils return to action tomorrow night for a showdown with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both teams are 42-25-7 with 91 points in 74 games played. The game will air nationally on HDNet, and locally on MSG Plus (HD) and WFAN 660 AM. The Devils are 4-2 vs. Pittsburgh this season, and 3-0 against the Pens on the road at Mellon Arena. The two teams will play a home-and-home tonight and on Tuesday to finish their season series, and likely map out what the division will look like the rest of the way.