Here we are, just a short time faceoff in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals and the Hurricanes are Dead Men Skating. They hope to get a reprieve from the governor at the 11th hour on an appeal for a little more life.

Whether or not such will be the case remains to be seen.

As a Penguins fan I have mixed feelings about this series so far. On one hand I love the fact that the Penguins are up 3-0 and have turned Cam Ward into Swiss cheese and made Carolina fans really and honestly consider if the empty net is not a better option considering that it has only allowed 2 goals so far compared to Ward’s 14. On the other hand the series, while each game has had bouts of excitement beyond seeing how many goals Evgeni and His Sidness can score, they have been pretty lopsided and boring. Then there is the problem that I really don’t want to spend another $200 on tickets to watch another shooting gallery win if the Penguins slump tonight and send this game into a Friday night showdown in Pittsburgh. I would rather save that money for the Stanley Cup Final tickets sitting in my little binder on the kitchen counter. But I can always sell my Game 5 tickets I suppose.

So here are tonight’s BIG questions to be answered:

1) Will Cam Ward plug all those holes the Penguins have been finding in his pads?
2) Will Sidney Crosby be the victim of a tragic hit and run by some crazed Carolina fan screaming, “Go Canes!”?
3) Will it finally be revealed that under Malkin’s apparent human looking exterior really lies a cybernetic exoskeleton?
4) Will Jordan get to give his older brother Erik a noogie while in the hand shake line?
5) Is anyone foolish enough to take the “under” for tonight’s game on goals scored?
6) On that same subject, what exactly is the over/under for tonight’s game? 15?
7) How many Carolina fans have sold their tickets to Penguins fans and how many black or baby blue jerseys will be in the stands?
Will Bill Cower show up with his horn again?
9) Will we really have to wait over a week for the Finals to start pending the outcome of this series and the Detroit series? (note: the league has already hinted that it is moving up the start date of the finals to this weekend if both Pittsburgh and Detroit end it in their next games)
10) Exactly how many times will the Staal’s sod farm be referenced during the game?