A SIX-PACK TO START THE 2-4 WEEKEND

Items pondered on this early Saturday morning of no particular distinction, where it's a choice between blogging or watching a really bad Jennifer Love Hewitt movie. You're lucky I only turned the movie on when it was almost over. By the way, isn't it really redundant to describe a Jennifer Love Hewitt movie as "really bad"?

• OILERS 3 DUCKS 1 (Edmonton leads 1-0): As many people expected, Anaheim's rust proved mightier than the extra rest the Ducks got between series; Ales (Pinto) Hemsky scored the game-winner by batting a rebound out of mid-air with some sleight of hand that would made every veteran of the road hockey wars. And that wasn't even the slickest, pardon the pun, offensive play: Dwayne Roloson set up the first goal with a backhanded pass that sprung Mike Peca for a short-handed goal.
  
  You'll never see a play like that again, for the simple reason Roloson and Curtis Joseph -- holdovers from the era when goalies were much more self-taught than they are today -- are the only netminders who left who will turn their stick around (trapper hand on top, blocker on the bottom) in order to play the puck on their natural shooting side. Every young goalie now gets coached out of that and learn how to shoot the other way. As for the game, Edmonton seemed to tire in the third period, when the Ducks outshot them 14-5. That's a sign the Ducks will tie up the series on Sunday.
• Look out! Rosie DiManno is back on the Toronto Star sports page, covering the Oilers. Beware of purple prose that would make Jeanne Zelasko blush: "That slim 2-1 lead sent the significant number of Edmonton fans present into vocal euphoria, as they beat their Edmonton-crested chests, waved Canadian flags, cheered lustily for 'Rolly' and otherwise put to shame the rather pacific hometown crowd." I think what she was trying to say was the Oilers supporters were kinda loud last night.
  
  Also watch out for a shaky grasp of the game's rudiments: "Hemsky batted a puck out of the air at 11:35 of the second period — and there was only the briefest sidebar review to consider whether his stick was above shoulder level." The actual rule, Rule 61c, says nothing about shoulder level. On a goal such as Hemsky's, it's whether or not the puck made contact with the player's stick above the height of the crossbar, which at four feet high, only comes up to mid-chest level on your typical NHL player, unless that player is Tie Domi.
• Marc Crawford, most recently seen behind the bench for the Vancouver Bertuzzi Apologists, is reportedly going to coach the L.A. Kings. So if this a sign the Kings, after underachieving in '05-06, are serious about making a run next year -- and after what Anaheim and Edmonton has done, no one in the Western Conference will see themselves as that far away from a Stanley Cup -- you can probably expect free agent Rob Blake to head back to L.A. Blake not only played 10 1/2 seasons in southern California, but he still has a home there and wife's family roots are there.
• Is the NHL falling behind the MLS in popularity and media coverage? Eric McErlain says it could be so.
• The Jays took it on the chin last night, 8-3 against the Rockies. Alex Rios (pictured up top with a female admirer, thanks again, On The DL) has had an amazing start. Hardball Times ranks him as the second-most productive outfielder in the American League, after Nick Swisher. But every so often Rios is going to remind you he's a 25-year-old third-year player. Tonight, top of the sixth, bases loaded, two out, Rios chases a high, outside pitch and fouls out, ending the Jays' best, last chance to get back into the game.
• By the way, as long as Rogers is going to offer this "MLB Extra Innings Free Preview" which foists U.S. regional broadcasts on Jays fans, we might as well have a drinking game in its honour. First rule: Every time an American announcer makes a snickering reference to the metric system, take a drink. Because you know, anything that's not American is funny.
• We've finished off the six-pack, but here's a bonus item anyways. Oklahoma State hoops coach Eddie Sutton is retiring after 36 years of coaching. And some of his former teams are looking forward to getting off NCAA probation early in the next decade.

That's all for now. Happy May 2-4 weekend. Let's have a warm welcome for Les Dale Hawerchuk.