Sid the Kid trumps Alexander the Great update

Hello Poolies:

First off, let me apologize to each and every one of you for encouraging you to watch that debacle of a Game 7 on Wednesday night. Perhaps after six amazing games, the Pittsburgh-Washington series was due for a dud and that is exactly what we got. The Capitals failed to show up and the game was over 22 minutes in.

Of course this can only mean were in for a pair of doozies Thursday night. CBC has Detroit-Anaheim at 7 p.m. ET and TSN will show Carolina-Boston at 8 p.m. ET. Both games have huge pool implications and will go a long way to deciding this year's Sons of Manitoba champion.

The Capitals loss caused one poolie to lose her champion. Colleen Turnbull, the 2002 winner on the player side, will have to wait to earn the career pool double (wins on both sides).

Also, a number of poolies are now frozen, with no possibility of more points. The charter members of the club this year are: Faceoff.com hockey columnist Dave Gross, former champ Jeff Sandelli, former champ Julianna Nowaczek, rookie Marcel Chelkowski and former champ Ron Strate.
Should Anaheim and/or Carolina win on Thursday night this group will grow exponentially.

My grandfather Jack James — a man who quite frankly has the best hockey mind among all of poolies I know — continues to lead after scoring his second straight bonus point Wednesday night. Grandpa has yet to win the pool, but he always places well.

Here's where we stand heading into the final night of Round 2.

1 $Jack James 32 Already 12 second-round points, but you can't score Thursday night
T2 $Natalie James 29 You need a Pittsburgh-Anaheim final
T2 $Rob Kovac 29 Still the odds-on favourite to win this thing.
4 $Mary Kay Hosfield 28 You can fly past your father with two wins on Thursday
T5 $Geoff Hastings 27 Two from Kamloops in the top 5
T5 $Philip Ling 27 I think you'd look good in red
T7 $Arthur Casement 26 Should the Grease bring Rollie back?
T7 $Jeff Madill 26 A possible 11 points on the board tonight
T9 $Peter James 25 Boy am I happy I'm not embarrassing myself this year.
T9 $Richard Warnica 25 Thanks for the advice
T9 $Sean Hutchinson 25 Cheque received, no so long as it doesn't bounce. . .
T12 $Justin Lee 24 If things break right for you, you'll be in first tomorrow
T12 $Marcel Chelkowski 24 Great first round. Downhill after that.
T14 $Jeff Sandelli 22 And let the slide begin. . .
T14 $Keith Bonnell 22 Cup champion still alive and that's all the matters
T14 $Mary James 22 You will only drop before you can rise
T17 Colleen Turnbull 21 Still scored the max points tonight, despite the Caps loss
T17 $Dave Gross 21 Sadly you didn't get your wish: The Caps and Pens both didn't win
T17 $James Gordon 21 Your Eastern Conference bracket is still perfect
T17 Mike Macaraeg 21 Your champ is still alive
T17 Roman Zakalunzy 21 You've got Boston going the distance the next three rounds
T17 $Sydney Washburn 21 Be sure to remind Dave who the better poolie in the family is.
T17 $Steve Ayres 21 Will max out your points tonight
T24 Chris Chapman 20 Getting the baby's room ready yet?
T24 Adam Fulton 20 Actually that last comment could work for you too!
T24 $Carolynne Burkholder 20 Cat.
T24 $Chris Lackner 20 Big group here at 20 points. . .
T24 David Forbes 20 . . . all of you are still in the top half of the pool. . .
T24 Debb Coghlin 20 . . . but have little shot at actually winning anything
T24 $Don McGowan 20 Seen any good streakers recently?
T24 $Liam Lynch 20 What do you say to another former RLS staff pub night?
T24 $Mike Barber 20 You back yet?
T24 $Mike James 20 Emery to Philly: Thumbs up or thumbs down?
T34 $James Peters 19 We may be tied on the player side, but I'm taking you to town on the team side
T34 Barry Horeczy 19 Ah, how cute. . .
T34 $Dave Washburn 19 . . . A Canwest reunion in 34th place
T34 $Mike McGuire 19 Also on my not paid yet hit list.
T38 $Dale Oviatt 18 Welcome to the 30s
T38 Laura Drake 18 Enjoy your last day in Ottawa
T38 Lloyd Mack 18 And your rise up the standings begins. . .
T38 $Mark Brennae 18 Is that is for the Scott Richmond Cinderella story?
T42 $Brad Bouzane 17 Just because you have a kid, doesn't mean you can get away with not paying
T42 Leanne Boyd 17 A Boston win will allow to catch Jeff
T42 Lisa Watson 17 Bonus point on the line Thursday night
T42 $Richard Woods 17 You can get points Thursday night, but then that's it
T46 $Shannon Proudfoot 16 Maybe you should let your cats make your picks next year
T46 $Cliff Hosfield 16 This is actually better than your player side performance
T46 $Ryan Plesko 16 Could be Top 20 after Thursday
T49 $Jeremy McParland 15 A top-50 finish is still quite honourable. . .
T49 Jordan Stein 15 . . . Just keep telling that you yourself guys
T51 Ron Strate 13 No points beyond the first round
T51 $Steve McKinley 13 Once again Crosby proves he's better than Ovechkin
T53 $Brendan Kennedy 12 You will not win rookie of the year
T53 Jenn Hosfield 12 Battling uncle Terry for worst in the family
T53 Rob Shaw 12 Confident your Bruins will pull it out?
T53 Terry James 12 Can double your point total Thursday night
57 $Julianna Nowaczek 9 Worst pool performance since Steph White scored six points in 2000.