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Posted by Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun

Editor's note: As we count down to the start of the playoffs, our experts will debate the possibilities for teams fighting for postseason position. Check out our Faceoff: Countdown to the Playoffs all this week heading into Sunday's regular-season finale.

Scott Burnside: Good morning, Pierre. Are your batteries charging for the playoffs? Four days and counting. Columbus secured its first playoff berth Wednesday night with a shootout win in Chicago, but the Blackhawks gained another point toward clinching home ice in the first round. Buffalo keeps its meager playoff hopes alive, but Thursday night will go a long way in determining who's in and who's out in both conferences.

You have to figure Nashville has to come up with at least a point in Detroit. The Predators are two back of St. Louis with two to go. The Blues will be at home against Columbus on Friday night, so the Preds will have to once again come up big against their division rivals. In the East, Florida has to win tonight in Atlanta, where the Thrashers have turned in solid performances down the stretch, so this isn't a gimmie. Meanwhile, the most interesting game of the night should be Philadelphia in New York to take on the Rangers. The Rangers can grab a playoff spot with a win, but the Flyers are (or should be) desperate to hold down fourth place in the conference and force either Carolina or Pittsburgh to visit Wachovia Center to start the playoffs next week. Look for Martin Biron to get the call again for the Flyers, who can't seem to string together strong defensive performances.

Pierre LeBrun: Not sure about my batteries, but I had some delicious crab legs last night. Our neighbors here in Naples, Fla., are anxious about the Panthers' playoff fate. Ah, not really. Still, because I'm a big Peter DeBoer fan, I hope they hang in there, although it doesn't look good. DeBoer was going to sleep on his decision to start either Tomas Vokoun or Craig Anderson tonight, but I just heard from the coach, and he said Vokoun is back in net. Maybe some offensive support would be nice (his team scored only one goal Tuesday night). It has been a painful problem all season long.

My morning blog has more on the Flyers and Rangers; I spoke with Jeff Carter and John Tortorella yesterday. The bad news for the Rangers is Philly still has something to play for right to the end, with fourth place and home ice on the line. And, yes, it's great to see Columbus get in, the last NHL team to finally make the playoffs. I think that was a big burden for that Jackets team, and now they can exhale a little. The Habs? Not so much. They're in for a tough night in Boston, and I don't like their chances. Can you imagine the reaction in Montreal if they drop their last two games in regulation and finish ninth? Without defensemen Andrei Markov and Mathieu Schneider, it's possible.

Burnside: If the Habs do miss -- and I don't think they will -- I think the Panthers will trip up in one of their last two games, the final one being against Washington. It won't be just the result of the late injuries to Markov and Schneider, although it'll be a nice cover for GM/coach Bob Gainey.

Here's the thing. Remember Edmonton in 2006? The Oilers nearly missed the playoffs; down the stretch, there were calls for coach Craig MacTavish's head. But they snuck in and went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals. I'm not suggesting the Habs can do that, but they are a better team than they've shown for much of the second half. Could they scare Boston or Washington? More likely Washington, I think, given the specter of Jose Theodore's homecoming and his sometimes fragile mental state. But that's the beauty of the playoffs, no? What of the Predators -- do they have a shot, or is this Blues team really the team of destiny in the West?

LeBrun: I do think the Blues are destined for the playoffs, especially since they host a Columbus team Friday night that could have a bit of a letdown after clinching. For Nashville, despite its hard work and great coaching, the injuries caught up in the end. Still no Martin Erat or David Legwand, and it's not a team that had that much depth to begin with. But the Preds have made the playoffs over the past few seasons, so we can't feel too bad for them. Time for some fresh blood. And I tell ya, when Game 3 of the Blues' first-round series shifts to St. Louis, the Scottrade Center will be rocking.

Back to tonight ... another game worth monitoring is New Jersey at Ottawa. Don't you think the Devils would benefit mentally from winning a game or two before the puck drops next week?

Burnside: It's so hard to figure out the Devils. They remind me of last season's Devils team that wobbled into the playoffs. They snuck ahead of the Rangers for home-ice advantage but bowed out quickly in five games. As much as Martin Brodeur is a goaltending god, his playoff record in recent years hasn't been all that great, and the team hasn't advanced beyond the second round since winning the Cup in 2003. And the Devils are going to draw a good team in Pittsburgh, Carolina or Philly. So, yes, winning a game might be nice.

But Ottawa, having just re-upped coach Cory Clouston, has been playing much better. Nick Foligno is a real top-six forward, Dany Heatley has shrugged off a long dry spell and Alex Auld is getting some looks in the battle to be Pascal Leclaire's backup next season. OK, one more question before I go -- any chance at all for Minnesota or Buffalo, or are they cooked, too? Buffalo plays in Carolina and is four back of the Rangers. Minnesota has Nashville at home Friday and is three back of St. Louis.

LeBrun: The Sabres and Wild are done, which will open up some interesting offseason plans for those two organizations. The natives, being the media and fans, are restless in both those markets with long-standing GM/coach combos. In Buffalo, I think that's unfair. If Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek hadn't missed a month apiece, the Sabres would be in the playoffs right now. Not sure how you can blame that on GM Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff. But in Minnesota, I wonder whether it isn't time for coach Jacques Lemaire to step down, which I know he likely will consider. In the meantime, we're only three sleeps away from knowing our first-round matchups, Scotty. I'm pumped. Talk to you tomorrow, you red-headed beast.