Thoughts on Dal Colle, McDavid, Burakovsky, the Eric Fehr injury, the Erik Karlsson hit and more …

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The Sens are down to their last life and are probably not going to sneak through to the next round. But other than that series (nothing against it, as every game has been tight and could have gone Ottawa’s way) we’re two or three games into every series now and there is one thing you can absolutely conclude with 100 percent confidence – we still know absolutely nothing about the outcome. The one series outside of Ottawa – Montreal in which a team ‘may’ have a stranglehold is the Winnipeg – Anaheim one, and the Jets actually had a lead in both of their games and so we’re far from writing them off with any certainty.

I’m in two playoff pools this year and I haven’t even checked the standings. Meaningless. Last place, first place – it’s all gonna change. I usually take my first look once a couple of teams get knocked out.

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In the Isles – Caps series, an Islanders win would help my one pool. But I called a Washington win. However, those who bought my draft list may have wondered (because they didn’t read the description) why in my own personal list Ovechkin was projected for 13 games and Tavares for 12. How can that be? Well, every year I do the playoff bracket on my interactive list. Then I go through the first round and pick the one series I am least confident about. This year it was this one. So then I go to the ‘bonus’ games area and give the Islanders five bonus games. Obviously at the draft table, whichever team I get a guy on – either Washington or the Islanders – I will then focus on and throw the other team’s players off the list.

So Josh Bailey with some more poolie teasing, eh? But we know better by now. We’ve seen his little six-game outbursts before. But when his other 76 games consist of like 10 points, well we’re not interested! Anyway, the 25-year-old is on another six-game points streak. He actually has 22 points in his last 32 games (22 in 41 before that).

Braden Holtby has stopped 63 of 68 (0.926), which is good. But it’s been Grubauer who has the team’s only playoff win so far. No chance of Barry Trotz turning to him though – Holtby is his man. Zero chance of a goalie controversy. Holtby is Trotz’s new Rinne. In case it crossed your mind.

Jaroslav Halak has stopped 79 of 85 (0.929), which is also good. I wanted to dig into the shot distances that Halak and Holtby have been facing, but Frozen Pool is not yet set up for playoffs and I couldn’t find the info anywhere else.