Bruce Boudreau

to win the Cup before the season started.

And I think that they've gone through their downtime and they're starting to play an awful lot better like they were when they were 19-1-1 at a certain part of the year.

So I think whoever meets Tampa in the second round is going to be a really tough out for them.

Well, I think they could if you look at all three of them.

I mean, their record in the last, well, since Rick Bonas came there and since, if you look since December 9th for Buffalo, like, I mean, these records are the tops in the league.

They're right up there with Colorado, Dallas, and Minnesota.

I mean, on all three of those teams.

So, I mean, yeah, they could make it.

I mean, but here's the thing I think with them.

is they're playing... All three are playing as good as they can.

When it comes to playoffs, you have to pick your game up at least 10%, as we know.

Like, I mean, you can't play the same as you do in the regular season or at that level in the regular season and hope to have success.

My question is, can these teams...

play any better than they're playing right now because they're going to have to be when they hit the playoffs.

That's why I said I think Tampa's just hitting their stride because they can play better.

I don't know if Carolina in the last few years have been able to play any better than they were, so I thought in the conference final was their limit.

and uh i don't know if buffalo can i don't know if columbus can um um who's the other team we mentioned ottawa yeah i don't know if any of those three teams can play better than they're playing right now but to get into the stanley cup final they're going to have to but at the same time if there's

1993 out there again, this is the year.

Like, I mean, who knows who's going to end up in the final if somebody just

takes slips if Tampa slips then everything's up for grabs if Carolina slips in the metro I mean anything's up for grabs I mean so uh I think the east is wide open I gotta believe the west it's going to be um it's going to be in the in the conference final obviously it's going to be Dallas or Colorado but in the Stanley Cup final I think it's going to be one of those two teams as well yeah