A $6.5 million gap and about 3 hours to bridge it........

So here we are at the end of the poker match.

Bettman is staring down Goodenow and vice versa.

Both have people patting them on the back and yelling at them not to lose their shirts.

And the time keeps ticking with neither guy giving a tell.

But from where I stand, I can't see how either guy can let a deal not get done. They are simply too close and both sides have moved too far to see the season be cancelled when a deal is this close.

The NHL says it can't move off $42.5 million. The NHLPA is offering up $49 million. Can't we just split the difference at $45 or 46 million and get back to playing the games?

Is that really too much for hockey fans to get at this point?

It's not like the players or the owners are going to be panhandling any time soon should they even accept what the other side is offering.

In the end, I'm expecting sanity to rule the day.

But who knows what will happen when both guys flip their cards over...........................