The rest isn't the point. The point is that any player in this game could get a freak injury that keeps them out of the entire playoffs, and that if the team doesn't care about this game, then we should be resting as many major players as possible to ensure that doesn't happen because what benefit is there to be had for having them out there? Having Geno play to increase match sharpness, sure, but Sid? I mean, your whole argument for "they don't care" is them not playing the first two goalies, but why on earth would they care about sparing them more than Sid if that's all it is?
In 16-17, for the final game against NYR, this team sat Sid and the kids and Geno. Scott Wilson was our 5v5 ice time leader as a forward. That's what a "we're done with the regular season, who cares" line up looks like. If we don't see that tonight, I think you're barking up the wrong tree.
Also, the 56 games have come in a brutally fully schedule. I know we've got a week off but the guys who've been doing big ice time all the way through it - L1 and Tanger - could still probably use the extra game off. But that's not the main point. The main point is you don't expose major players to injuries in meaningless games. If players are out there, it's not meaningless.
