Nobody's perfect

Heading into Tuesday night, a pair of poolies had a chance to run the table in the first round. But neither Mark Brennae nor Brad Bouzane was able to go 8-for-8. The Sharks impressive second period did in Mr. Brennae, while Joffrey Lupul's overtime winner sunk Mr. Bouzane. After the dust settled we have a new leader on the team side as Sean Hutchinson picked up the maximum eight points Tuesday to pull ahead.

As you can all imagine, I'm disappointed with the result from the HP Pavilion. But a couple of soft goals (one by each Flames goaltender) and some costly penalties were too much to overcome against a talented Sharks team. It was frustrating to watch as the Flames began to unravel midway through the second period. The moment San Jose tied the game at two, I knew the Flames would be in tough. When Miikka Kiprusoff was pulled after the fourth goal, my heart sank. When Curtis Joseph let a goal in moments later, Calgary's fate was sealed.

In Washington, the Flyers managed to weather the storm in the third period and took advantage of a power play in overtime to end the Capitals Cinderella season.

Here are the team side standings (a player side update may follow in a couple hours):

1) Sean Hutchinson 24 Suddenly you're in the driver's seat
T2) Dale Oviatt 23 Flames lose, but you can celebrate your Sharks selection
T2) Mark Brennae 23 Your one mistake in the first round is your Stanley Cup pick
4) Mike James 22 At least one James brother is happy after Tuesday
5) Brad Bouzane 21 It's amazing you can go 7-for-8 and be in fifth spot
T6) Dave Washburn 20 If you'd gone with your heart you'd be first or second
T6) Debb Coghlin 20 Washington loss likely kills your chances
T6) Kim Landon 20 Also scored eight points Tuesday night. Congrats.
T6) Lloyd Mack 20 I'm sure the Eagle's Nest was rocking after that Flyers' win
T6) Mary James 20 Tell me more about this interview
T6) Ron State 20 Bonus point from the Sharks' win gets you into the top 10
T6) Terry James 20 I'm not nearly as happy as I was when I spoke with you three hours ago
T13) Don McGowan 19 All four of your final four teams still alive
T13) Barry Horeczy 19 You weren't the bad luck charm after all
T13) Jordan Stein 19 What do you think of the new 'Nucks hire?
T13) Liam Lynch 19 So who are you pulling for in the primary?
T17) David Forbes 18 I'd also be interested to hear if you have a favourite in the Democratic race
T17) Julianna Nowaczek 18 Your turn
T17) Ryan Plesko 18 I'm sure you Oiler fans are happy today
T17) James Peters 18 Canucks fans are probably smiling too
21) Jeff Sandelli 17 That wasn't much of a birthday present
T22) Jack James 16 Let the debate begin: How much is Langkow worth?
T22) Jason Anthony 16 Crosby and Co. are your key to move up
T22) Peter James 16 Well, that game wasn't very fun to watch
T22) Richard Warnica 16 Your fall in the standings was of Ottawa Senators proportions
T22) Scott McCleery 16 Among this group in 21st, you have the best chance to actually still win the pool
T27) Adam Fulton 15 Speaking of the Senators, how did that work out?
T27) Neil MacKinnon 15 I hope you get those riots you were looking for
20) Jennifer Hosfield 14 Oh-for-Tuesday cost you dearly
T30) Chris Chapman 13 It's a Chapman reunion. . .
T30) Janet Chapman 13 in a tie for 30th
T30) Cliff Hosfield 13 Actually it look's like 30th place is a great place. . .
T30) Mary Kay Hosfield 13 For married folk to hang out
T30) Rob Shaw 13 But if 30th spot is for married people what are you doing here?
T30) Steve McKinley 13 Is there something you haven't told us yet?
T36) Arthur Casement 12 I can sense your glee from here
T36) Justin Lee 12 If the combined pool still existed, you'd be an interesting case study
T36) Natalie James 12 Perhaps you'd do better in a rugby pool
T36) Stacey Tomlinson 12 All those upsets, they didn't pan out.
T40) Ali Hewitt 10 So if Vancouver folks really ever get winter, why do they complain about the weather so much?
T40) James Gordon 10 Nice post today
T42) Colleen Racine 9 Increased your score by 33 per cent on Tuesday
T42) Colleen Turnbull 9 When you guys are tied like this, it makes the Colleens comments easier

Everyone's a winner!

Monday night had the potential to cause a hockey's version of a crisis of faith. The combination of the revival of Phil Kessel and the (temporary) decline of Carey Price allowed the Boston Bruins to claw back from a 3-1 series deficit and force a seventh game. Had the Bruins been victorious Monday night against the Montreal Canadiens it would have turned the hockey world upside down. As Bill Simmons pointed out in his Monday column the Canadiens have a history of ripping the heart from the Bruins' chest and stomping on it.

And that's just what happened at the Bell Centre as the Canadiens won 5-0 and everyone in the pool got three points. Everyone except Barry Horeczy; he was the lone poolie to call the Canadiens dramatic seventh game triumph and gets a bonus point.

Also Monday, soon-to-be Hart Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin took the Washington Capitals on his shoulders and forced a seventh game in the series against the Philadelphia Flyers with two goals in the third period in a 4-2 win.

So with only two series left on the books (both with Game 7s set for Tuesday night), here are the latest team side standings:

1) Mark Brennae 20 Going for the perfect first round tonight
2) Brad Bouzane 18 You are perfect so far as well, but lack any bonus points
T3) Barry Horeczy 16 Good call on the Habs in 7
T3) Dale Oviatt 16 I'll be clad in Flames gear from head to toe on Tuesday
T3) Dave Washburn 16 I thought you'd know better than to bet on the Bruins against the Habs in the playoffs
T3) Don McGowan 16 I figured you'd appreciate the Kostitsyn brothers' performance on Monday
T3) Richard Warnica 16 The Canwest parade at the top continues
T3) Debb Coghlin 16 Like most people in this group, the Ducks are your lone blemish
T3) Liam Lynch 16 On the whole, this might be the best performance by a group of poolies in the first round
T3) Lloyd Mack 16 I'm sure the folks in Kenora aren't big Ovechkin fans right about now
T3) Mike James 16 Speaking of people who won't be buying the latest Ovechkin jersey. . .
T3) Scott McCleery 16 You have two potential bonus points on Tuesday night
T3) Terry James 16 Be easy on Mike if the Flyers lose on Tuesday night
T3) Sean Hutchinson 16 The lineups will be long at the sports bars, I bet
T3) Ron Strate 16 And the logjam comes to an end
T16) David Forbes 15 You lead the way in bonus points
T16) James Peters 15 You're beating me in both halves of the pool
T16) Jordan Stein 15 So those Manitoba Moose have a half-decent team, eh
T16) Julianna Nowaczek 15 Don't try to slip any Hungarian words into our Scrabulous game
T16) Ryan Plesko 15 You're pool hopes will be determined in the late game tonight
21) Jenn Hosfield 14 You've been able to stake out your own ground, tied with no one else
T22) Cliff Hosfied 13 And now we get to the group with two wrong, but one bonus point
T22) Jack James 13 I bet you've got your seat picked out for tonight
T22) Janet Chapman 13 At the top of the standings, many Canwesters
T22) Jason Anthony 13 In the middle of the standings a bunch of former rezzies
T22) Jeff Sandelli 13 Stress level rising . . . rising. . . rising
T22) Rob Shaw 13 Oh no! I'm watching some B.C. A-Channel right now and just heard about the shutdown at the mill in Ladysmith.
T22) Steve McKinley 13 When does the office concert season begin?
T22) Mary James 13 Looking forward to TO
T22) Peter James 13 I know I won't be able to concentrate at work on Tuesday
T31) Adam Fulton 12 Your sheet is clean enough that you could climb into the top 15 or so
T31) Justin Lee 12 You're winning on the other side of the pool
T31) Natalie James 12 If Australians chant, 'Aussie!, Aussie!, Aussie!, Oy!, Oy!, Oy!' what do New Zealanders chant?
T31) Neil MacKinnon 12 Speaking of chants, I'm sure you let out a few 'Oles' after the Habs win
T31) Stacey Tomlinson 12 I'm always looking good
T31) Kim Landon 12 I somehow missed you when I first did this update, and I spend like half and hour trying to figure out who was missing
T37) Ali Hewitt 10 A Sandelli NCAA pool/Sons of Manitoba hockey pool double seems remote at this point
T37) James Gordon 10 This is what you get for getting creative and going with the Preds
T39) Arthur Casement 9 You are making the Casement-basement jokes easier and easier
T39) Chris Chapman 9 Perhaps you should pick world championship teams or something
T39) Colleen Turnbull 9 The sum of the Colleen's still won't get you into the top 10
T39) Mary Kay Hosfield 9 So good on the player side, so bad on this side. I don't get it.
43) Colleen Racine 6 You're off the schneid, but still in last

Whoa, baby! What is going on?

I'm sure there are a few long faces on rue Sainte-Catherine today after the Montreal Canadiens blew another chance to finish off the Boston Bruins. Suddenly everyone's consensus first round pick doesn't seem like such a sure thing. It will certainly make for an interesting Monday night.

Also Saturday the Colorado Avalanche finished off the Minnesota Wild, making the pool advice story I field for Canwest News Service seem a little less ridiculous. I would like a mulligan on that New Jersey paragraph.

I didn't catch much of the Flyers/Caps game on TV, but I did listen to a good chunk of it on the radio while taking advantage of the beautiful Ottawa weather Saturday afternoon. I had the Capitals' feed and give the announcing team three stars (out of five). The play-by-play guy did a great job recapping the score and goal scorers at regular intervals and his description of the play was clear. The colour guy, on the other hand, sounded like the personal secretary to owner Ted Leonsis. Everything was 'we' this and 'they' that. At one point he all but guaranteed a Washington win.

Which brings me to this year's ranking of the announcers on Canadian. As many of you know this is a Sons of Manitoba tradition dating back to at least 2000, if not earlier.

Here's what I said last year, and in 2006.

Here's how I see them stacking up this year (including both CBC and TSN):

1) Jim Hughson: He's been my favourite for a while and there's no reason to suggest he won't be at the top of this list for years to come. He was recently signed to a new contract and should be the CBC's voice of the Stanley Cup final this spring. Hughson is always well prepared and his signature call is: "Big save Luongo." This year he's had to modify Luongo to 'Fleury' as he handled the Senators/Penguins series and has recently moved over to the Colorado/Minnesota tilt.

2) Chris Cuthbert: CBC made a big mistake when they let this guy go during the lockout. Had the Mother Corp. kept him under contract they truly would have the best teams in the business. Instead he's over at TSN doing a fine job.

3) Gord Miller: Perhaps it's because I've enjoyed all his calls of the world junior tournament over the years, but I'm moving Miller into the top three this year. He's not flashy, but he knows the game and has a good chemistry with Pierre McGuire.

4) Bob Cole: The old guy still has a great voice and that masks some of his other shortcomings. Of all the announcers on this list he's the one guy I'd want to call the game-winning goal in the Stanley Cup final, but all the mistakes he makes during the games drops him further down the list.

5) Dean Brown: Is nominally CBC's fourth announcer and has spent most of the first round on the Detroit/Nashville series. He'd probably be higher on this list had I not been over-exposed to him on Ottawa local broadcasts during the season. He seemed to take offence whenever a call didn't go the Senators' way. However in a 'neutral' series I think he does great work, that said he won't see any action past the first round.

6) Mark Lee: He's dropped down the list quite a bit this year, in part due to his inability to figure out who the Sharks' players and coaches are as he calls the Calgary/San Jose series. Doug Campbell on the blue-line? Ron Francis behind the Sharks' bench? I expect better.

Colour guys:

1) Pierre McGuire: Either you love this guy or you hate him and I fall into the former category. His calls from ice level provide a unique perspective and he knows the game well enough to provide some technical insight to the viewers. However his love of Sidney Crosby, Dion Phaneuf and Mike Richards can be a bit over the top.

2) Greg Millen: CBC's lead analyst has grown on me over the years. He's not afraid to criticize, but he doesn't over analyze either. When paired with Jim Hughson he's part of the best broadcast team on television.

3) Harry Neale: Works primarily on local Buffalo games now, but CBC calls on him for time-to-time to fill in. He always has a few cuts turns of phrase that evoke a chuckle and his knowledge of the game is as good as any one in the business. It would be great to have him on CBC more frequently in the future.

4) Craig Simpson: The former Edmonton Oiler has spent the year as the analyst on CBC's late game, which means he sees a lot of the Northwest Division. Although it took him about four months to even acknowledge that he worked for the Oilers until recently he did provide unbiased commentary even during Battle of Alberta games. There are rumours he's poised to return to the Oilers in a front office capacity.

5) Garry Galley: Often teamed with Dean Brown, he worked with Hughson during the first-round this year on the Ottawa series. He's too linked to the Senators for me to provide an objective analysis.

6) Glenn Healy: Oh, where to begin? Suffice to say, Healy is way too negative for my liking. It's one thing to be critical it's another thing to constantly throw players under the bus. Hopefully the Maple Leafs hire him as their next general manager, because I think he'd be a perfect fit for that franchise.

OK, so with that out of the way, here's what's going on in the pool. The team side document is online and a link is available at the side. Today provide team side scores, tomorrow I will update the player side, in the meantime you can check out the spreadsheet (the link is also on the side).

T1) Terry James 10 I've said this before, but this could be the year you join the rest of the family on the winners' list
T1) Scott McCleery 10 One of the five rookies tied for the early lead
T1) Richard Warnica 10 One of four Canwesters tied for the early lead
T1) Mark Brennae 10 So how do you feel about the Huet trade now?
T1) Lloyd Mack 10 Lots of people went for Colorado in six
T1) Liam Lynch 10 Hence the big tie for first
T1) Don McGowan 10 Apparently the Jays needed a McGowan to get out of their funk
T1) Debb Coghlin 10 Your Avs win and you're in first. Not a bad day.
T1) Dale Oviatt 10 You didn't benefit from my decision to go reverse alphabetical for this update
T10) Sean Hutchinson 9 Still perfect, but missing that elusive bonus point so far
T10) Ryan Plesko 9 Must be easier to make objective choices without the Oilers involved to cloud your judgement
T10) Jordan Stein 9 Same as above, but substitute in Canucks for Oilers
T10) James Peters 9 Have you helped control the deer population of the B.C Interior again since we last spoke?
T10) Dave Washburn 9 If the combined pool still existed, you'd be doing quite well
T10) Brad Bouzane 9 For that matter, so would you
T10) Barry Horeczy 9 Did you have Amber Holland in your Players' Championship pool?
17) David Forbes 8 King of the bonus points so far, too bad you also took the Wild
T18) Peter James 7 Look, I'm not absolutely terrible on this side of the pool . . . yet
T18) Jennifer Hosfield 7 How are exams going?
T18) Jeff Sandelli 7 Well, it all comes down to Sunday night.
T18) Jason Anthony 7 Once again you manage to find yourself in the middle of the pack
T18) James Gordon 7 Where do you think Emery will end up?
T18) Cliff Hosfield 7 Wild to the Western final pick showed courage, but didn't pay off
T24) Ron Strate 6 And here's the group that's 2-for-3 so far with no bonus
T24) Rob Shaw 6 Capitals win Saturday was good news for you
T24) Neil MacKinnon 6 Jersey pick won't hurt you in the long run
T24) Natalie James 6 Glad to hear you enjoyed your reading week
T24) Mike James 6 Too many penalties hurt the Flyers, but you already knew that
T24) Mary James 6 Toronto or bust
T24) Kim Landon 6 Have you ever watched the Tracy Ullman show? It's hilarious
T24) Justin Lee 6 May want to stick to picking players
T24) Janet Chapman 6 May want to stick to picking teams
T24) Adam Fulton 6 Thanks for the wine update, I will include a link to it in an upcoming update
34) Ali Hewitt 4 Only one right so far, but you did get the bonus point
T35) Steve McKinley 3 Alot of work to do to catch your office mates
T35) Stacey Tomlinson 3 You should get Jays' season tickets if you're such a good luck charm
T35) Mary Kay Hosfield 3 All your final eight teams are still alive
T35) Julianna Nowaczek 3 I saw a hit from Hungary on the website. I suspect it was you
T35) Colleen Turnbull 3 You're blading trail must be ready by now, right?
T35) Chris Chapman 3 Nice of you to let Janet get bragging rights on this side of the pool
T35) Arthur Casement 3 And I here I wasted the Casement/basement line yesterday. My bad.
43) Colleen Racine 0 I'm sure you'll get one right eventually. No one has ever finished with zero before. (No pressure)