HOCKEY LAST NIGHT: CLEARY HAS BIG NIGHT FOR DETROIT

Shine on, you crazy diamond.

Red Wings 3 Wild 0: There's a particular interest here in Detroit winger Dan Cleary, who scored twice last night in support of Dominik Hasek's shutout goaltending. He played his junior for the Belleville Bulls, the Kingston Frontenacs' rival, and shares a hometown -- Carbonear, Newfoundland -- with co-blogger Neil Acharya.

Like Leafs winger Chad Kilger (fourth overall in '95), Cleary was drafted high and got the rep for having a big head. Since he got over himself, he's become an effective player. For $450,000, the veteran minimum, he's been productive (8 G-5A-13TP in 24 games).

Sabres 4 Rangers 3 (shootout): The way that Buffalo won, with the Sabres killing off a penalty late in overtime and getting 36 saves from Ryan Miller, plus three stops in the shootout will send Western New York that will last until about 1:46 p.m. on Sunday, which is the ETA on LaDainain Tomlinson's second touchdown against the Bills.

Flames 2 Blue Jackets 1: An unsatisfying win for Calgary, who squeaked by one of the league's worst teams. Probably a good time for the Flames to have a rare weekend off and get some R&R.

Devils 5 Penguins 2: Travis Zajac, the Winnipegger, played like New Jersey hopes he'll play most nights -- setting up the goal that put the Devils ahead to stay and later adding an insurance goal to help snap a six-game winless skid.

Chicago 5 St. Louis 2: Does anyone remember back around 1990, '91, when a Blackhawks-Blues game would've filled Chicago Stadium or the old St. Louis Arena? Those days are long gone now -- 12,110 at the United Center last night, although that's more than twice what the Blues drew at home one night earlier.

Tonight's better games: Leafs-Canadiens, 7 p.m.; Lightning-Senators, 7 p.m.; Sharks-Red Wings, 7 p.m.; Avs-Canucks, 10 p.m.

HOMETOWN BREAKDOWN

Eep. The Frontenacs, who wrapped up November by losing to a team then second-last in the entire Ontario Hockey League, began the month by losing to the last-place team, 4-1 at home to Windsor Spitfires -- who were also playing a rookie goalie, Andrew Engelage.

Speaking of 4-1, that's how much the Fronts have been outscored while on the power play in the past two games (in fairness, two of those shorties were empty-netters). Note to Ottawa-area fans: Spitfires d-man Keith Wynn, who's from Orleans, had two assists and was plus-3 in the game.

Windsor will probably be so giddy over actually winning that they'll have nothing left in the tank tonight in Belleville, meaning the Fronts could fall seven points off the pace if they lose their game in Peterborough.

RMC 5 Queen's 1: Ouch for the Golden Gaels in the front end of a home-and-home with the Paladins that wraps up the first half of the regular season. Nick Cregan, a former member of the CJHL's Cumberland Grads, scored twice for RMC. With the win, RMC, with a 4-10-1-0 record, pulled ahead of Queen's for second place in the division. That is not a typo. That is par for the course in the OUA's Mid-East Division most years.

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