HOCKEY LAST NIGHT: WHAT WITH ALL THESE UNHAPPY HOMECOMINGS?

What you might have missed after you stubbed your toe, fell into a pile of trash bags and decided to lie there for a while with your hopes and dreams...

From here at least, Chris Pronger's return to Edmonton was a bit of a fizzle -- feel free to blame the media (including us in the "new media") for overhyping what, ultimately, was just another weeknight game, a 3-2 overtime win for his new team, the Anaheim Ducks.

It's a fair bet someone will write that the Pronger-bashing backfired, since from here it looks like the classic "distracted" game for Edmonton. The way it went down for them last night -- giving up the tying goal with 16 seconds to go and then turning the puck over at centre ice for Ryan Getzlaf's overtime winner -- suggests a team that wasn't quite able to focus. You see that happen all the time -- the effort's there, but the mind is elsewhere, and you end up letting a winnable game slip away.

By the way, did anyone see Christie Chorley attempt to interview Ducks goalie Ilya Bryzgalov on The Score afterward for the Anaheim perspective? What was the deal there? Did he happen to just be the first Duck out of the room (possible, since he didn't play)? Was Chorley snubbed by the Ducks, or did they set her up by sending out a Russian goalie who, while coming off as a generally good-natured guy, talked like Ivan Drago in Rocky IV? This was the gist of it, loosely transcribed:

Chorley: "You had an interesting theory before the game on why Chris Pronger might have wanted to leave. Could you share what that was?"
Bryzgalov: "It is... cold... here."

Suffice to say, Ms. Chorley won't make anyone forget Oriana Fallaci, may she rest in peace.

Bruins 4 Leafs 1: Pavel Kubina changed his number from No. 73 to No. 31, and Leafs coach Paul Maurice probably wishes he could change eight to 10 of players after a second straight stink-out on home ice against Boston. Just kidding. Boston's Tim Thomas stopped 45 shots, the Leafs couldn't score on a 5-on-3 when it was 1-1 early in the third, and to add injury to insult, Boston's clinching goal came after Bryan McCabe fell down and hurt his ankle on a play where no Bruin was within three stick-lengths of him. It's a slice, man.

Sens 4 'Canes 1: He's not "Martin Garbage" for at least the next 24 hours -- Martin Gerber stopped 29 of 30 shots to back Ottawa to win in his return to Raleigh.

Thrashers 5 Rangers 4 (overtime): In keeping with this theme of players returning to their old haunts, Bobby Holik gets his second goal of the night in overtime to vault Atlanta past New York.

Canucks 1 Blue Jackets 0: Nice try, Vancouver fans. Booing Anson Carter every time he touched the puck in his first game back after leaving the Canucks as a free agent? Where do you think you are, Edmonton?

Outside of fans of the two teams, the only people interested in this one all have Pascal Leclaire in their hockey pool. Native British Columbian James Mirtle puts it better: "I've caught about half the Canucks' games, and almost every single one has been nearly as coma-inducing as whatever the Home and Garden network is showing."

Elsewhere: Canadiens 1 Panthers 0 (shootout); Flames 5 Avalanche 2; Sharks 2 Blues 0; Penguins 3 Islanders 2; Capitals 5 Lightning 2 (hey, Johan "John" Holmqvist, what's Finnish for sic transit gloria?)

Tonight's better games:

HOMETOWN BREAKDOWN

67's 5 Frontenacs 0: What was it I said on Monday about this being a trap game for The Surging Tide That Is The Kingston Frontenacs? They were coming off a four-point weekend where they won both games in shootouts.

My read on the 67's is that they seem to go as winger Arron Alphonso goes. Logan Couture is the can't-miss future NHLer and Jamie McGinn is the veteran scorer, but Alphonso is a guy who has talent, but plays a tough, two-way game that perks up his teammates. He set up Joe Grimaldi for a goal 1:18 in, then scored a shortie late in the first period to put Ottawa up 2-0, chasing Jason Guy from Kingston's net. The rest was pretty easy for Brian Kilrea's boys, as ex-Front Brady Morrison made 25 saves for the shutout.

Here's the "That's junior hockey for you" stat: The Fronts' Cory Emmerton played in one of the Canada-Russia games last week and was interviewed on national TV after scoring a nice goal. Last night, he finished minus-5. That said, a guy with Emmerton's game isn't going to have too many nights like that.

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