HOCKEY LAST NIGHT: SHARK FEAST

Breakfasts come and go, Renee, but Hartford, 'The Whale,' they only beat Vancouver maybe once, twice in a lifetime.

Aside from Darren McCarty's little bankruptcy drama, it was a slow night in the NHL:

Sharks 4 Lightning 2: Apparently, that extra E in Ryane Clowe's first name stands for effort, since the fourth-line energy player potted his first NHL goal to put San Jose up 2-0 and put the Bolts in catch-up mode the rest of the game.

Worth noting that highly touted D-man Josh Gorges was a healthy scratch for San Jose.

Avs 4 Wild 1: Jacques Lemaire said it was like the Avs "played a junior team" after Minnesota was totally flat at home -- not exactly good when you're heading into a stretch where seven of the next 10 games are on the road.

José Théodore, in net for the first time since getting lit up for eight goals in his return to Montreal on Oct. 21, earned the win but only had to face 21 shots.

HOMETOWN BREAKDOWN

It was the last game at the Oshawa Civic Centre before the OHL's Generals open their new arena, so apparently they were a little fired up for it, tallying five goals in the first 20 minutes and skating off with an 8-6 win last night over our Kingston Frontenacs. Fiddle-dee-dee, that puts the Fronts on a new losing streak.

It's junior hockey, teenagers, but seriously, these days Frontenacs game summaries provide more unintentional comedy than a Rebecca Eckler column.

The Fronts scored at 1:55 and 2:10 of the first period -- but by the 10-minute mark, they were losing. Goalie Daryl Borden got pulled after getting beaten on three of the first seven shots. Oshawa pumped in five power-play goals. I could go on, but instead let give kudos to Fronts defenceman Michael Kolarz -- it's a special player who can be +4 on a night when his team lets in eight goals. See why this author has been just mild about the Fronts, ever since the days when the Limestone City shinny concern was known as the Kingston Canadians?

The Fronts (4-9-0-1) are only one point out of the Ontario Hockey League basement, but everyone in their division except Belleville is below .500, so they're only three points out of second place in the East Division. Wait at least until Nov. 15 to press the panic button. They have a three games in four nights this week, starting with their trip to T.O. on Thursday to play the St. Mike's Majors.

Back with more later in the a.m. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.