It sadly isn't the case in the state capital of Ohio, but a couple of hours north in Cleveland, there is undoubtedly a whiff of playoff hockey in the late winter air.
That's because the Lake Erie Monsters are, in just about any way you want to look at it, a team on the rise. The Monsters cemented their status as a club to watch this past weekend, winning all three of their games, including a pair of one-goal victories over the top team in their division, the Rockford Ice Hogs.
Before those two intense Rockford games was a relatively easy 5-2 victory over the Rochester Americans on Thursday.