HOCKEY LAST NIGHT: FLICKERING FLAMES, OILERS GET JOBBED

And none of that stinkin' root beer!

Blue Jackets 5 Flames 4 (shootout): Manny Malhotra puts it away for Columbus in the 11th shootout round as teammate Pascal Leclaire (pictured, at left) stands tall in the extra session, dropping the Flames fall to 3-7-2. You think the fans and press in Calgary is getting a little antsy? The Sun compiled a list of the Flames' top 10 underachievers.

Stars 3 Oilers 2: Referee Mick McGeough probably isn't going to elected to Edmonton city council after calling a glove pass that wiped out an apparent tying goal by Ales (Pinto) Hemsky with 4.1 seconds left.

Read the game story linked about and judge for yourself if the hometown paper in Edmonton went a little overboard harping on McGeough's call. Like it was McGeough who put the Oilers behind 2-0 on home ice in the first place.

The Stars, meantime, are 11-2-0-0 overall and are giving up less than two goals per game.

Ducks 6 Coyotes 2: Only14,833 were on hand last night in Anaheim, despite the fact the Ducks have yet to lose in regulation. They didn't miss much as the Ducks (10-0-4) skated off with an easy win and moved within a game of tying the '84-85 Oilers' record for longest point streak to start a season.

Andy McDonald, Kingston's unknown NHLer, scored on a penalty shot to cap a four-goal second period for Anaheim.

Thrashers 4 Capitals 3: After Atlanta beat Washington for the third time this season -- all three have been by the same score -- Capitals coach Glen Hanlon noted, "Right now, they're one goal better than us." Gee, Glen, we couldn't have figured that out for ourselves."

HOMETOWN BREAKDOWN

What is it about the Frontenacs and a lack of killer instinct? The junior hockey club I've been just mild about since childhold let another winnable game slip away, 5-4 in overtime to the Belleville Bulls. Hey, at least they get a point in the standings!

The Frontenacs scored three straight goals to take the lead midway through the third period, and kept it for all of 109 seconds. Then Belleville overager Tyler Donati got the winner in OT.

Next up for Kingston is a visit from the Plymouth Whalers on Sunday for 2 p.m. Have to share: Last night, your agent was getting on a bus near the Ottawa Civic Centre, where the Whalers had just lost to the 67s. Some beered-up guys around 19 or 20 years old kept the bus entertained. Apparently they'd enjoyed the game, even though they were cheering for Plymouth, as the whole bus found out when one of the guys displayed the "O" painted on his chest.

They also briefly chanted, "Fournier, Fournier." Small world -- apparently they were buddies of Whalers forward Andrew Fournier, who used to go to the same Kingston-area high school where my mom teaches.

Ah, youth is a wonderful thing. Too bad it's wasted on the young.

That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.