You know how we’re feelin’ about tonight, eh?

Walkin’ down Elgin Street this morning, grabbin’ a coffee, everyone’s got that same look in their eye: a bit of hope, a bit of dread. It’s like we’re all holding our breath, you know? The boys played a good stretch there, six-two-and-two, but that loss to the Islanders the other night? That stung. Now they’re back at the CTC, the New York Islanders again, and it feels like a real gut-check game. We’re still scratchin’ for that wildcard spot, sittin’ fourth, and every point matters. You hear it everywhere, from the folks at the Rideau Centre to the bus stop on Bank Street: "Can they do it, eh? Can they really string it together?" There’s that underlying fear that it’s all gonna fall apart, like it always does, but then you see a guy in a Stützle jersey and you think, 'No, not this time.'

The big talk, of course, is Pinto. Everyone’s still buzzin’ about his return, and he looks good, eh? But the power play, man, that’s the real head-scratcher. We’ve got all this talent, and it just doesn’t click. You hear guys at Shawarma Palace last night, after the 67’s game, just dissecting it, eh? "They just need to shoot more," some fella says. "No, it’s the passing lanes," another argues. It’s Ottawa, so we’re still here, still watchin’, still hopin’, but it’s a nervous kind of energy. You can practically taste the anxiety in the air, but it’s mixed with that deep-down belief we have in this team, even if they break our hearts every now and then.

Eleven-eleven, boys. Eleven-eleven.

You gotta hear Keith and the team chew on this every morning, eh? Tune in at mornings.live.