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Date Posted: 20:56:58 09/09/05 Fri
Montreal, PQ - While the top three spots in the ultra-competetive Eastern Conference are decided, two last teams are vying for the fourth slot in the playoffs.
London's Lasers and Montreal's Marauders have been battling each other for most of the last month, and the see-saw battle looks to continue all the way down to the very end of the year.
Currently, Montreal has a one-point lead in the standings, but will likely surrender that spot to London, as the Lasers play more games over the next week and should easily take the lead. But after that stretch, the two teams will battle head-to-head, as they see each other three more times before the last 14 games are played, including one home-and-home matchup.
"Those games are the determining factor, if you ask me," said team GM Sean Gallagher, "neither team has an easier schedule than the other, so the main difference will be in who can take those games. A sweep probably finishes one team. A spilt means that it probably comes down to the last two or three days. With these two teams, I'd bet on a split."
Both teams must be lauded for their attempts to make the second season, as aggressive trades and gritty on-ice battles have been the norm for both squads. In fact, at one point, Montreal apparently tried to acquire some of London's top players, but was rebuffed.
"He told me thanks, but no thanks," said Gallagher, "he decided that he was going to try to make the playoffs. I believe that my offer was the turning point for him - where he had to decide whether to go for it or to try to rebuild for next year. He picked the former. It's funny, because that's the exact moment I knew that he'd be the guy I'd be battling."
London has felt the pressure, as well, answering Montreal's deadline day deal with a monster of their own to add to their firepower.
"The great thing about it, for both teams," opined Gallagher, "is that our playoffs started a few weeks ago. Whichever teams gets in will be ready to take on a number one seed. Both teams are used to 'must-win' at an early stage in the year. Whichever team gets in will already be prepared for the intensity of the playoffs. Whichever team gets in will be tough to deal with.
"Personally," Gallagher finished with a smile, "I hope its our team."
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