Do They Or Don't They?

The Regina Pats showed us what they can do when they decide to play hockey on Wednesday. They beat the Memorial Cup hosts from Brandon and they looked damn good in doing it. Its just one game and the playoffs are still a long ways away. It was about this time a year ago that the Pats went into a Friday-Saturday set of home games against Prince Albert and Edmonton needing wins to get back into the playoff race. They lost both games and they looked horrid in losing to the Oil Kings who blocked more shots in one period than what the Pats had all season long. Fast forward to tonite and its the Oil Kings in town followed by a visit from Swift Current on Saturday.
The home team needs to get four points this weekend. There is no alternative. If this club can beat Edmonton and Swift Current, they will have a chance. If they don't, see ya! Do the Pats have it in them to win both this weekend? I would hope so. We will see.
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I knew it would happen and I was right. The Oilers looked good against Pittsburgh for two periods and they led the game 2-0 after two. I knew they would gag that lead, just like they did against Washington a couple of weeks ago. Sadly, I was right. Pittsburgh strikes three times in the first seven minutes of the 3rd to beat the reeling Oilers 3-2. I have cheered for this Edmonton team since they first entered the NHL, but I don't think I have ever seen a team that is worse than this one. It doesn't help when you don't have Khabibulin and Hemsky, but describing them as horrid right now is complimentary. I knew they weren't going to the playoffs, but I didn't think it would be like this.
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One team I thought would make the playoffs and be a force in the East this year was the Flyers. Pronger, Richards, Carter, Briere, Timonen ---guys that I thought would have Philly near the top of the Eastern Conference. Instead, they are a team that would be out if the playoffs started today. They looked bad in losing 4-0 to the Leafs. Why? I know the Oilers don't have talent, but Philly does. By the way, Regina boy Tyler Bozak will remember this win for a long time. The Leafs forward got his first ever NHL goal in the win, and it was a beauty. It won't be his last.
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Mike Kelly gets his assault charge dropped. Should the Bombers have waited to see how this transpired in court or did what happened at his Pennsylvania home give Winnipeg an easy way out when it came to canning their coach?
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We are just a couple of weeks from CFL free agency and there are many teams with managerial holes to fill. The Riders need a GM as do the Bombers with Adam Rita seemingly hanging by a thread in Toronto. Winnipeg needs a coach as do the Argos. I'm guessing the next couple of weeks will be interesting in the CFL.
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Weyburn's Graham DeLaet made his PGA debut today shooting a one under 69. He is four shots off the lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii. It would be great to see DeLaet make the cut in his first pro event. Many that follow the Tour believe this kid is going to do great things in the next couple of years. He is off to a great start.
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There is talk that the Kontinental Hockey League might throw 20 million dollars Ilya Kovalchuk's way for him to leave the NHL and play back in his native Russia. Sportsnet's Mike Brophy says another player that could go to the KHL might be Alexandre Ovechkin as he is upset that 18 percent of his salary goes into escrow. You know what, if they wanna go, go! If every Russian in the league wants to follow, go! Yeah, I might sound like Don Cherry on this one, but if these guys can't see that the NHL is the best pro hockey league going than go, but don't come back. Losing Ovechkin and Kovalchuk would be a major blow to the NHL, but they would survive.
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As you get ready to take on Friday, I give you this...

Friendship is not about who came first or who cares the most. It is all about who came in your life and never left.

Have a good one!