Ducks tame Wild update

Good morning poolies:

After much soul searching I've come to an important realization. To avoid future embarrassment I will no longer enter the Sons of Manitoba pool. Sure I'll still run this thing along with James Peters every year, but I won't make any picks. Because honestly, it's very deflating to do poorly year after year. Two updates in this time around I'm still in last place.

But at least I'm not Jenn Hosfield. My Calgary cousin would likely kick all our butts in a field hockey pool, but she'll be hard pressed to win the team side of this year's Sons of Manitoba pool this time around. She threw her support behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, a bold decision to get ahead of the pack on a team that will be very popular in future pools. While the Buffalo Sabres were the top pick this year, I'm sure the Penguins will be the team to beat in 2009. Unfortunately for Jenn and the assorted Senator-haters who enter this pool every year, the Penguins lost out last night.

Minnesota Wild also kissed off Thursday night, losing to Anaheim. No poolies were as bullish on the Wild as this blogger but I few us still drank the JacquesLemaire kool-aid and predicted a first round upset.

Here are the standings:
1) Neil McKinnon 11 First to pull away from the pack
2) Ryan Plesko 10 Ducks safely through, that helps you
2) Natalie James 10 I never pictured you as a Canucks fan
2) Mike Macaraeg 10 Crusader pride
2) Julianna Nowaczek 10 Ravens pride
2) James Peters 10 Not back, for a 'Nucks fan
2) Colleen Racine 10 Here come the Colleens
2) Colleen Turnbull 10 It's neck-and-neck this year
2) Chris Chapman 10 Welcome to the leaderboard
10) Arthur Casement 9 Nine points, isn't that what the Oilers got after Christmas?
10) Kim Landon 9 Trash talking has got you into the top 10
10) Mary James 9 When did the women in my family start picking the Canucks?!?
10) Mike McGuire 9 Your Red Wings need to turn things around
14) Sean Hutchinson 7 Good call taking the Ducks in 5
14) Jeff Sandelli 7 Kipper's playing well, eh
14) Debb Coghilin 7 Another Ducks in 5 pick
17) Ali Hewitt 6 And here we go with the 2/3 parade
17) Brenden Hope 6 You're second place amongst high schoolers
17) Jack James 6 Should Regehr draw in if he's healthy?
17) Janet Chapman 6 Chris' picks appear and he's beating you
17) James Gordon 6 A Buffalo win tonight will drop you down a fair bit
17) Jason Trout 6 The Lightning are your ace in the hole
17) Lloyd Mack 6 Was the Flames game available on the dish?
17) Marlow Weldon 6 Not bad, for a radio guy
17) Mike James 6 Also second place in the key high school battle ground
17) Terry James 6 Yesterday's big generated good press
27) Rob Shaw 3 You top the list of the last-place group
27) Peter James 3 Still on place for my Top-30 finish
27) Peter Field 3 Battle of the Peters is a race to the bottom
27) Mary Kay Hosfield 3 Welcome to the basement club
27) Jordan Stein 3 One out of three is a good batting average
27) Jason Anthony 3 It's not a good pool strategy