HOCKEY LAST NIGHT... HEY, SOMEONE'S NOT ENJOYING HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA! LET'S GET HIM!

For some people, it's Hockey Day in Canada. For others, it's just "Saturday."

Don't know about you, but next year, a boycott might be fun. Hockey Day in Canada -- who needs it? We didn't need it as a kid growing up -- just went out skated on the pond, played road hockey when it was mild, played the wing in the local house league and learned to love the greatest game of all without having a bunch of propoganda shoved down one's throat.

Of course, advancing this argument has about as much chance of success as a Chicago Blackhawks power play these days -- it's a little like that Simpsons episode where Homer is ejected from the theatre audience for not laughing and pointing out plot holes during some insipid Julia Roberts RomCom (titled Love Is Nice). Either you go along or else, although it's a polite or else.

Long rant short: If hockey is the Canadian religion, well, we have freedom of religion, and freedom of religion also means freedom from religion. End rant.

Time to go purchase refreshments for today's NFL playoff games, shoot some hoops and then squeeze in a couple games of Strat-o-matic baseball with Lacey Chabert, who as far as you know might be a closet Strat nut.

No, wait, that's somebody else's Saturday. The highlight here will be getting a sub on the way to work.

Wild 4 Oilers 2: Marion Gaborik scores two for the second night in a row -- after Manny Fernandez stymied a better Edmonton team for much of the night. That's two divisional wins for the Wild in a row. These eyes were sure they'd never see the day.

Headlines: Girls and women's teams in Toronto eye getting their own rink (an idea whose time has come, although maybe not on the waterfront); Nashville Predators in turmoil; Wisconsin Badgers end No. 1 Minnesota's 22-game unbeaten run; The Hamilton Spectator collects some good ideas for improving the game; and the National Women's Hockey League visits Napanee -- the Brampton Thunder (with Kingston's Jayna Hefford) are taking on the Ottawa Raiders.

NHL Scoreboard; today's games

HOMETOWN BREAKDOWN

Our Kingston Frontenacs needed a shootout after blowing yet another two-goal third-period lead, but finally beat archnemesis Belleville 5-4, with the fabulous Finn, Bobby Nyholm, burying the shootout winner. Newcomer Jesse Biduke also tallied in his first game in black and gold... and silver. The 67's lost 3-1 to Brampton, so the Fronts took over in sixth place in the OHL's Eastern Conference -- although there is the small matter of playing first-place Barrie tonight and Ottawa having three games in hand.

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