PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS?! DAY 36

What you might have missed while avoiding paying the paperboy his "two dollars!"

Sabres 3 Senators 2 (Ottawa leads East final 3-1): Obviously, the organizing principle of the universe was not going let Senators fans have it both ways -- a trip to the finals and the entire May long weekend free from fretting over their Beloved Team.

Mike Comrie hit the crossbar in the first period when the Sabres were scrambling just to get back to the dressing room with a 1-0 lead. If Antoine Vermette gets the puck over Ryan Miller's left pad on a short-handed chance when it was one-goal game early in the second, the Sens might have fed off that and come back to win the game and close out the series. Instead, Miller made the stop, Dean McAmmond got a high-sticking penalty to put Buffalo on a 5-on-3, and miracle of miracles, the Sabres actually potted a power-play goal.

So please, Senators fans, don't stew and sweat during the two-day layover before Game 5 on Saturday afternoon (thanks a lot, NBC) in Western New York. Take a load off, don't clog up The Team 1200 phone lines fretting about a possible collapse. Buffalo might win Saturday and really wreak havoc with everyone's May 2-4 weekend, but the Sens have come too far to blow it now. Tonight was just an evenout, just an evenout.