HOCKEY LAST NIGHT

Add the Canadiens' Guillaume Latendresse to the list of players who've expressed remorse after hurting another player with a body check.

Latendresse was ejected from a pre-season game against Tampa Bay after boarding Rob DiMaio, who hasn't played since. There's a thread on this at Sportsnet.ca which does mention the equipment the players wear. (Padded wetsuits, anyone?)

Guys are getting scared about the physical havoc they can wreak on other players. Remember the look on Raffi Torres' face after his big hit on Detroit's Jason Williams last week? (Williams, by the way, hasn't played since.)

It really helps make the argument that something has to be done to strike a balance between hard-hitting hockey and a game that's still reasonably safe to play.

This discussion usually gets sidetracked by old-fart hockey types (and a lot of young farts who think old) who miss the point and say no one willOf course, you always get the old-school hockey types who make comments like "this isn't ballat" (sic) and "suck it up," or say few people will miss a journeyman player such as Rob DiMaio (or Steve Moore). They're missing the point, or trying to keep it from being made.

Ottawa 4 Buffalo 2: The Sens finally scored a road win over a good team, gaining confidence after big 5-on-3 penalty kill early on. The patient is out of the coma, finally. With New Jersey and Buffalo back-to-back later this week, let's hold off on giving the Sens a clean bill of health.

Canadiens 3 Lightning 1: Sheldon Souray scores twice on the power play and the

Flyers 7 Ducks 4: Water finds its own level eventually. The Ducks are coming back to the pack and Philly's coming up to it... J.S. Giguere was pulled after giving up five goals on 11 shots.

Hurricanes 2 Rangers 1: Jaromir Jagr gets career goal No. 599 in a losing effort.

Bruins 3 Capitals 2 (shootout): Tim Thomas stones all three Caps shooters in the shootout in front of a packed house -- 10,878 -- at the Verizon Center. That's fewer fans than the Laval Rouge et Or will get out for their CIS national semi-final game on Saturday.

Sharks 4 Avs 3: Jonathan Cheechoo may be out for a while after injuring his left leg.

Islanders 3 Stars 0: Please tell us Rick DiPietro doesn't have a bonus clause for shutouts on top of that ridiculous contract.

Back with more later. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.