With the playoffs approaching, it's time to start looking for the occasional situational special. I think we have one tonight...

Atlanta -120 @ Carolina
The defending Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes have just been eliminated from making the playoffs. The team sounds stunned, even though they've been fighting for the last several weeks to try to get a playoff spot. And rolling into Charlotte tonight are the Atlanta Thrashers in a game they really, really need to win to get the division and #3 seed. They can clinch the division with a W tonight. A loss, coupled with a Lightning win tonight, would mean the Thrashers probably won't win the division and that means they won't have home ice advantage in round 1. One team is deflated and probably playing only for pride. The other team has supreme motivation. I'll lay the juice on the road.