THE TORCH

What is the Habs magic number? Hmmmmm, let’s look into the crystal ball and see what lies ahead in the last two weeks of the season.

TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2011
ATLANTA THRASHERS vs. MONTREAL CANADIENS – 7:30pm (EST) (RDS)
I’m gonna go out on a limb and say the Habs will win tonight. They have to; there’s simply no way around it; anything less than two points tonight and it’s time to smash the panic button with your face. They will win tonight because Atlanta, the city, is pretty awful. The surrounding areas in Georgia are beautiful, but ATL’s high crime rate, ridiculous traffic congestion and convention vibe makes it unwelcoming. ATL’s season is over the players are focussed on their families or helping their buddies launch soon-to-fail beverage companies or car dealerships, or whatever NHLers do in their spare time. ATL start their final road trip of the year knowing they are out of the playoff picture, so the game plan for them is simple; suit up, try not to get injured, try not to ice the puck because that wastes valuable Montreal nightlife time and get this game over with fast so they can go clubbin’.

Did you know Atlanta, Georgia is the host city for the Furry Weekend? Yet another reason to never visit ATL.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011
MONTREAL CANADIENS vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES – 7:00pm (TSN, RDS)
After finally “bulging the twine” (#WordHate) the Habs will get on a plane and head straight to Carolina to face another one of those teams with a crap logo. This game will be a lot harder to win because Carolina are making a push on the red hot Sabres and are fighting for valuable points. Montreal has had the decided upper hand in this years season series and if you recall AK46 started playing well the last time these two teams met. However, I think the Habs will be lucky to squeak out a point in Carolina.

The Hurricanes should change their name to the Loaf Archers.

SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2011
MONTREAL CANADIENS vs. NEW JERSEY DEVILS – 7:00pm (RDS, CBC)
Montreal always loses in New Jersey.

So as of brunch time next week, how many points will Montreal have? I’m thinking 90, but some nerd has already done the stats based on linear data and data based on the last ten games each team has played. If the linear data is correct and Montreal plays like they have all season, they’ll have 94 points and finish 6th in the east. Using their record over the last ten games, the conclusion is dramatically different, showing Montreal finishing in 8th with 92 points. Here’s the link, math doesn’t lie. – http://zorak.best.vwh.net/nhl/

- mm