So Close...Yet So Far Away

There were no tears on Saturday night when the Sens' season came to an abrupt end as the Penguins' Pascal scored on our Pascal in OT to finish us off in 6 games.

Maybe it's a sign that I'm growing up. Or maybe it's a sign that I was already resigned to the fact that the Sens weren't going to survive this series.

But I'd like to think it was because, despite the sadness of watching my team lose in the first round of the playoffs again, I was more proud of them than anything. After going down 3-1 in the series, nobody was giving us a shot against the defending Stanley Cup Champs.

I was proud of my team for battling back, and the fact that they went down fighting allowed me to admire them in defeat.

Who knows what would have happened this Spring if the Sens had a healthy line-up? I really didn't think much about Alex Kovalev, Milan Michalek, or Filip Kuba during our run against Pittsburgh, but the fact is, the Sens were playing without two of their top-6 forwards, and one of their top-4 defencemen.

Who knows what might have happened if Daniel Alfredsson hadn't been suffering from a sports hernia, an abdominal pain that he fought through, and will require surgery for in the coming week? From the first puck-drop in this series, we could tell that the Captain was not at 100%. However, he laced 'em up anyways - like a true leader, like a true warrior - and in fact stood out as one of the best forwards in the final two games of the series, as Ottawa battled for their playoff lives. He finished tied with Matt Cullen for the most points by a Senator in 6 games, notching two goals and six assists. Imagine what a healthy Alfie could have done?

Who knows what could have been, had Cory Clouston chosen to go with Pascal Leclaire in nets earlier in the series, or even from the get-go? Leclaire's first appearance in the playoffs was a strong one, and quite different from the dismal season he had here in Ottawa, losing his #1 goalie status to Brian Elliott. And honestly, I didn't blame Clouston for going with Elliott, as he was the one between the pipes during the best times this season, while Leclaire battled injuries and major slumps. I was actually somewhat surprised that he turned to him after the Game 4 debacle (still SO thrilled that that was the game I had tickets for...) But Leclaire proved his worth in Game 5, turning in one of the best performances by a goaltender thus far in the 2010 playoffs, stopping 56 shots through three overtime periods. It also wasn't his fault in Game 6. Let's hope he can carry this into next season.

What might have happened if Mike Fisher's goal late in the second period of Game 6, which would have made the score 4-1, had counted? After a lengthy review, the officials deemed the net was off its moorings, though from the replays I saw, it was far from conclusive. That goal, had it counted, might have killed the Penguins comeback and swung momentum back in our favour. Instead, the Pens continued to chip away at our lead, and then finished us off in OT. We were that close to pushing this to a Game 7...

Who knows? But these are the twists and turns that make up a playoff series. The momentum swings, the ups and downs, the shoulda-coulda-wouldas... If anyone knew the right answers beforehand, then we'd be marching on to the second round.

Instead, another early summer. But gratification in knowing my guys fought hard to get into the playoffs after missing them last season, and then gave the Penguins, who were the last to hoist the Cup, a good run for their money. Memories of one of the most exciting goals in franchise history, when local boy Matty Carkner fired home the game winner in triple-OT last Thursday and force a Game 6. Smiles when I think of the fans at Scotiabank Place, louder than they have been since our run to the Cup Finals in '07, and a sea of waving white rally towels.

It was a good time, while it lasted. No tears at all.

And hope springs eternal that we get the chance to dance again next year.

Triple-OT GLORY!!

The Sens aren't done yet...

I'll admit, I was pretty sure they were toast going into last night's game. I already had it all planned out. After the loss, I was going to curse and stomp around my parents' house and maybe even cry, like I usually do when the Sens are beat out of the playoffs. Then I was going to go outside and rip my car flag off, and then drive home like a maniac, barrel into the house, and tear down my big Sens flag out of the living room window.

And then I was gonna be one ugly bitch all day today.

But instead, I'm a giddy bundle of happiness, thanks to some amazing netminding from Pascal Leclair (yes, one of my goalies learned how to stop the puck - for one night, anyway) - and a HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE goal in the third OT by our wonderfully wonderful Matt Carkner!!

Who picked Carkner to score the winner?? Anyone??

Of course not. Carkner's a defenceman whose specialty is fighting and grinding. But you know what? The sun shines on a dog's arse once in awhile, and I'm pretty sure Matt Carkner will never forget the way it felt to score that goal last night.

The Sens let the Pens know early on that they weren't going to go quietly into the night. They scored twice in the first period, with goals coming from Mikey Fisher and Jarkko Ruutu. My hopes were soaring again.

Then, for some reason, they took a giant group snooze, and relied heavily on Leclaire to keep them in the game. However, with the firepower that the Penguins hold, it was inevitable - they scored a late first-period goal, a late second-period goal, and in the third, who other than Crosby would score the go-ahead goal. Amidst all of this, the horrendous officiating persisted, and I was struggling to figure out why the Hockey Gods hated me & my team so much.

The CBC was also the target of much of my wrath. I detest Glen Healy, and Bob Cole is a complete joke. When Peter Regin scored to tie the game in the latter part of period 3, it was like he caught Bob totally off-guard. "Oh, what do you know...The Sens score...Maybe it isn't over after all..." Gee, Bobbo, try not to sound too excited, huh? The Crosby Broadcast Corporation is pathetic. Period.

The first OT was unbelievable. The Sens had a million chances, and couldn't capitalize on them. Well, actually, Nick Foligno did score, but it was ruled that he had kicked it in. Which he clearly did not, but because they made the same ruling against one of the Sedins (I don't know which one is which) in the Vancouver/LA series earlier in the playoffs, it didn't surprise me. SO frustrating, though.

The Pens had their fair share of chances as well. Chris Kunitz scored a goal that was also called back after he re-directed the puck in with a high stick late in the third period. And I'm pretty sure Evgeni "Big Lips" Malkin heard the clanging of the post he hit in one of the OTs in his sleep last night.

As the game stretched into the third OT, and became the longest Sens game in franchise history, I was getting more and more nervous. All these chances, Leclaire standing on his head... how long could it go on?

When Carkner took the feed from Alfie in the Pens zone and shot the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury for the winning goal, it was a feeling of complete elation. Happiness for Carkner, relief for Leclaire, and pride in knowing that my Sens aren't going down without a fight.

There's nothing quite like that feeling of winning in OT - let alone triple-OT.

And the Sens live to play another day. Saturday night at SBP...do-or-die time. Again.

Awesome.

The "I HATE..." Blog

OK, it's official...Sidney Crosby IS God.

Man, I hate how great he is. And I hate that my team let him romp all over them last night. And I hate that I was there to witness it.

While I'm listing things I hate? The refs. What a bunch of idiots. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but the way they've been calling this series - and especially last night's game - well, it clearly looks like they don't even want to give Ottawa a sniff of the next round. They're doing their part to make sure the Sens lose to a team that probably would beat them even without them lending a helping hand. I HATE THEM.

Hmm, what else do I hate...oh yes, I hate Jason Spezza. I know, he scored last night (finally). But his blind passes that usually end up on Penguin sticks are no longer tolerable in my world. And his beaut of a give-away last night that resulted in Crosby's first goal? Real nice, Spezz. Real nice. As far as I'm concerned, he can pack his bags once we're done with this series. I have no more patience for him and his "creativity". He's a complete knucklehead.

I hate that NEITHER of my goalies can stop a puck to save their lives. Brian Elliott gets yanked after the Penguins scored the first four goals of the game, so Pascale Leclaire comes in to replace him. For his first five or ten minutes, he looks like Superman (basically because he made a few saves, which Elliott was unable to do up to that point). The Sens start a little comeback, score a couple of goals, and for awhile, I think we might be okay. We might actually make a game of this. But then, Leclaire takes off his Superman cape, returns to normal, and the Penguins score another three goals before the game ends.

Awesome.

Oh, how I hate that we keep taking stupid too-many-men-on-the-ice penalties. Did all season, continue to do so in the playoffs - took TWO of 'em last night. Smarten up on the bench. That's pathetic.

I hated the little Penguin fans in the row in front of us wearing Crosby jerseys and whooping everytime Pittsburgh scored, but because they were only, like, ten years old I couldn't swear at them. Fack, I hated that!!

I hated that Spartacat never went near the two fans who dressed up like Penguins and danced in the aisle of one of the first level sections. He shoulda been down there kicking their asses. Even our mascot isn't stepping up!

I HATE Evgeni Malkin and his big ugly lips (which, by the way, I could see from all the way up in the last row of section 323), and the fact that he's doing as much or more damage as Crosby, but hardly anybody mentions him.

I hate that I think I just said nobody's giving Malkin enough credit.

I hate Matt Cooke. Because everyone hates Matt Cooke.

I hate that I wrote blogs praising Sidney Crosby just a few months ago. I'm glad we won gold, but I'm over it now. I wish I could take back those blogs telling you all how much I love him.

Because I really, really HAAAAAAAAAAATE him.

Just Wondering...

...I know, a few of my blogs from a couple of months ago are a stark contradiction to this statement, but...

Who the hell died and made Sidney Crosby GOD????

GO SENS GO

Oh, I almost forgot...

GO SENS GO!!!

STUPID Heroes...

Oh wow. I didn't think the Heroes could be this stupid.

Last night on Survivor, we saw probably THE biggest goofy move in the history of the game. And the sad part is, the Heroes did it as a team.

At the Reward Challenge, the Heroes discovered that Coach was voted off the Villain tribe, convincing them that there's a strong women's alliance picking off the men, one-by-one, leaving "poor" Russell as the last man standing. Oh Lord. JT whispering to him, "Hang in there, buddy" - almost made me want to puke! I know they don't know Russell from a hole in the ground, but once they realize what a conniving snake he is, they'll be wishing they'd never felt sorry for him!!

So the Villains won Reward after they managed to stay up on their little footholds longer than three of the Heroes. They got to chow down on an Outback Steakhouse feast. Parvati found the clue to the second Hidden Immunity Idol on their beach, and shared it with Danielle, but chose to keep it a secret from Russell, the same guy who gave her his secret Idol a few weeks ago. Hmm...Interesting...

Meanwhile, back at the Hero beach, JT was coming up with his crackerjack of a plan: At the Immunity Challenge, he would somehow get Russell off to the side and hand him his Hidden Immunity Idol. He would also pass along a letter to explain that if he used it to save himself and vote out Parvati, that he would be safe with the five of them once they merge. Then they would proceed to pick off Jerri, Courtney, Sandra, and Danielle, and just SMASH that women's alliance!

Brilliant. Absoultely brilliant.

WHY did the rest of them go along with this dumbf*ck plan?!

I truly expected Colby, at some point, to stand up and say, "Whoa, guys, isn't this a little risky? We don't even know Russell. Maybe he's actually running the show over there, huh?" But noooooo... Colby disappointed me yet again. In fact, he was the one, once it was just him and Russell left on the platforms during the Immunity Challenge with the Heroes carrying a huge lead, that turned to Russell and told him to see JT after the challenge because he had something to give to him, and that he would become one of them once they merge.

What a goof.

Could they not see the Cheshire Cat smile on Russell's face? I cringed when Russell told the camera, "Now I don't even have to find hidden immunity idols. The other team is giving them to me!!" Literally, physically cringed.

Stupidest. Move. Ever.

So Russell and Parvati giggled with glee reading JT's "love letter", and in that moment, all of the credibility that JT, Colby, Rupert, Amanda, and Candice held just completely evaporated.

They literally are the stupidest Survivors ever.

Of course, Russell held on to that Idol and had no reason to use it at Tribal Council. Instead, they voted off Courtney. Looks like the merge is coming up next week, and the Heroes will get their first hint of how stupid they are by realizing that Russell didn't vote out Parvati after all.

But I'm pretty sure that Russell will be able to sweet-talk them, the way he always does, and they'll all end up being the biggest suckers he's ever been able to manipulate.

The really redonkulous thing is that Russell was able to do this all with very limited communication. They only see him briefly every couple of days. They don't even know him. And still, he's got them under his spell.

I can't figure it out out. I just can't figure it out.

Game 1 Goes to the Sens!

Holy crap. I think I almost had a heart attack last night. And it was only Game 1!!

I know. Everyone likes exciting back-and-forth hockey. But quite personally, I'd prefer to kick ass 6-0 every game. It's a lot easier on the nerves.

I gotta say - I liked how my guys looked last night, and they eventually came away with a narrow 5-4 win over the Penguins at Mellon Arena. Marc-Andre Fleury clearly didn't have his best night between the pipes, and there were bounces that went our way (for once!). The third-liners were our big guns last night, grinding hard and capitalizing on the scoreboard. Goal-scorers were Peter Regin (who opened the scoring for Ottawa after Pittsburgh had taken a 1-0 lead while Regin was in the box), Chris Neil, Chris Kelly, Erik Karlsson, and Jarkko Ruutu.

I know. Seriously? Those were the goal-scorers? No sign of Alfie or Spezza or Fisher. And as much as I'd like to see those guys getting goals, the fact that our grinders were stepping up and scoring made me very happy!

Watching the game at my parents' place is always interesting, to say the least. Dad is this little black rain cloud of doom. When the Sens do something right, he doesn't say a word. But when they do something wrong, he pounces! Every time a lesser-light scored last night, he snorted, almost as though it was absolutely ridiculous to fathom them getting goals. He also strongly critiqued Brian Elliott, as he always does, but really - what goalie is good enough for my dad? I think just about the only one who passes his test is Martin Brodeur, and the fact is, there's only one Brodeur.

My mom is also a treat to watch hockey with. She talks to the TV. Non-stop. "Come on, guys, you have to pick it up!" "Awww, guys, you're playing sloppy!" "Let's go Ottawa, you can do better than that!" Funny at first. Annoying after awhile. Even worse when Luke starts snapping, "Shut up! They can't HEAR you!"

Then there came the Great Erik Karlsson Debate of 2010. Me & my mom, against Dad & Luke. After Karlsson dipsy-doodled in the neutral zone and gave the puck away, Mom and I ranted about how the kid has to be more careful with the puck. Dad and Luke jumped to his defence, and laughed at us for being so critical of the best offensive defenceman we've had in years. (Yes, the same two guys who criticize everyone else on the ice relentlessly.) The argument came to an abrupt end when young Karlsson scored his first playoff goal. And yes, they did torment us with the "Ha-Ha! How do you like him now?!" stuff. Whatever. As long as he keeps scoring, I guess I can overlook the odd blooper on the blueline.

End of the day? The Sens win in enemy territory and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7.

Bring on Game 2! GO SENS GO!!

Are you ALL IN - ALL RED??

The Playoffs start tonight, with the Sens taking on the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1.



And all I gotta say is...

(To get your PRAISE ALFIE wallpaper, visit www.team1200.com)

Too Busy...Toooooo Busy!!

Way too frickin' busy...No time for Blogging...But a few quick things:

The Heroes are rockin' it on Survivor now, and this week the Villains lost both challenges again, this time sending Coach home. Russell continues to rule the roost. What an ass.

Daniel Alfredsson Day in Ottawa was Saturday, with the Sens closing out the season on home ice vs. the Sabres. The pre-game ceremony with Alfie and his family to honour the 1000 games was classy and a wonderful tribute to the greatest man to ever don the red, black & gold. His kids are adorable - fighting over the bouquet of flowers given to their mother, big smiles for Phillips and Fisher, Loui stepping off the carpet to take a little skid on the ice, and Hugo proudly singing O Canada...it was priceless. When Alfie lost his place in his notes and the fans rocked the place with chants of "Al-fie! Al-fie! Al-fie!" in the lull, it raised the hairs on the back of my neck. The only let-down was the final score, a loss to Buffalo, 5-2. Playoffs start tomorrow night. Bring on the PENGUINS. My love for Sid the Kid ends NOW!!

Nickelback concert on Sunday night in a 400 level suite = AWESOME. Never seen so many pyrotechnics in my life. The energy was awesome, Kroeger was at his raunchy best, it was LOUD & CRAZY. Awesome moments included little snippets of "Patience" by GnR, "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks..."TIMMAAAAAAAAAAAY!!"...the Mario Bros. underground tune...Also really cool to see them pay tribute to Alfie and his 1000 games, with Kroeger shouting, "How 'bout Daniel Alfredsson?" early on, then they flashed an image of him on the big screen during "Photograph", and when a bunch of guys came out late in the show to master-blaster beer out to the crowd, most of them were wearing red Alfie t-shirts.

Seems to me there's a pile of people out there who like to advertise that Nickelback is the worst band ever. For 17,200 of us on Sunday night, that opinion didn't matter. It rocked.

Last but not least...BIG congrats to a regular here on the Blog, Sharon, as she and her husband Wayne had a baby girl last week! Welcome Emma!! :)

1000 Games, 1000 Memories

Yesterday was a very special day.

It was one for celebration. It was one for reflection.

Yesterday, in Sunrise, Florida, Ottawa Senators Captain Daniel Alfredsson played his 1000th game.

Okay, seriously. Where did 1000 games go? Where did the past fifteen years go??

Wow. Doesn't seem like that long ago that I was a twelve-year-old kid, joining the ranks of the Sens Army. Back then, it wasn't about Alfie for me. Back then, it was about this other guy, Wade Redden. (You might have heard me mention him before...)

But now, Redden's gone. Almost all of the guys who once composed the core of this team are gone.

But one remains. The one who now, truly, is the core of this team.

Daniel Alfredsson had already been in a Sens uniform for awhile by the time I pledged my allegiance to the Senators in the Spring of 1997, the first year they made the playoffs. He had already won the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year. He was already an integral part of a team that was finally dragging itself out of the humiliating depths of the NHL basement and developing into one of the most successful clubs in the league for years to come.

15 years later, he has even more to be proud of. For one thing - how many guys get to play 1000 games for one team, let alone 1000 games at all? He's dealt with injury problems. He's been down and out. Yet, he's persevered. And now he's more than just the captain of the Senators. More than just a key figure in the community.

Daniel Alfredsson is the face of the team. He is the Ottawa Senators.

When Alfie came here as a 22-year-old from Sweden, he brought along his girlfriend at the time, Bibi Backman. She is now his wife, and they have three boys, Hugo, Loui, and Fenix, all born in Ottawa. In a tribute to Alfredsson's 1000th game in the Ottawa Citizen on the weekend, Bibi said that back when she followed her boyfriend here to support him, she never expected to stay in Ottawa for long. But now, even after her husband retires, probably in a few years' time, she says they likely will stay here, because it truly has become home.

As a fan of the club, this milestone for Alfredsson stirs feelings of great pride & nostalgia. There are so many moments; so many memories; so many ups and downs.

It's impossible to recount them all, but without a doubt, the biggest high for me was when he scored against Buffalo in OT of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals to send the Senators to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in modern franchise history. That goal was a special moment for Sens fans. It was better than making the playoffs for the first time, better than getting past the first round for the first time - the only thing that could be better would be winning the Cup.

The fact that Alfie scored it made it even more magical.

He's been there with arms raised for the best times; he's remained strong, steady and constant through the bad times. I truly hope that, before they raise his #11 to the rafters here in Ottawa, which they undoubtedly will do, that he has the opportunity to win that elusive, coveted prize - the Stanley Cup. He's already done everything else, winning with his homeland Sweden on the world stage, including a Gold medal from the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin. All he needs now is hockey's Holy Grail.

We've cheered him. We've laughed at his hair. The Leaf fans have booed him relentlessly (which he takes as a compliment, by the way). We've cheered him even harder when they do.

We've watched him grow into a man that now carries the weight of an entire city's hockey expectations on his shoulders.

He's our Captain, in a greater sense than just on the ice.

He's our fearless leader.

Here's to 1000 games.

PRAISE ALFIE!!!

It's Never a Win-Win for Jill...

This Survivor re-cap is going to be brief - holy hell things are busy around here! - but I just hafta start out by saying this:

YAY COLBY YAY!! Finally, the man showed a little spark! A little late, in my opinion, because I would've loved for James to see him in action, but whatever. At least he finally showed that he's still got it!

The Heroes finally slayed a few of their demons. Just a few weeks ago, Colby was the one to surmise that the Heroes weren't very good at basketball challenges or puzzle challenges. Lo and behold, this week we had both. In Reward, Colby did a lot of the grunt work as the tribes competed in a game of water basketball, with the first tribe scoring 3 baskets going off for a "healthy" feast. Colby was involved in all of the battles in the water for the ball, and he ended up scoring two of their three baskets to win Reward. There, they found another clue to a hidden Immunity Idol on their beach, and Rupert lamented that just when they were finally coming together as a cohesive unit, the game just had to creep back in. Well, duh, Rupe. It's SURVIVOR.

Despite the news that another Idol was to be found, the Heroes really did seem to be getting some of their swagger back. (Um, could just be me, but did anyone else notice how much better it was without James and his severe attitude problem? Might he have been the problem all along?) They headed into the Immunity Challenge hoping to continue their winning ways, but with another puzzle finale, I was doubtful. After racing to collect their puzzle pieces, it was JT and Amanda who finally were able to complete the puzzle and grant the Heroes their second victory in a row. Things are lookin' up for Colby and the gang!!

But the Villains' second consecutive loss set up the Boston Rob vs. Russell showdown that they've been foreshadowing for weeks now. I was really hoping Rob was going to take the little weasel to school and teach him a few Survivor lessons. Unfortunately, it really does appear that Russell is a Survivor expert. I have no idea how he does it, but he manages to win over the right people and he gets it done. He somehow got Jerri under his spell, causing tension between her and Coach. She tried to get Coach to tag along, but he wasn't quite as smitten with Russell. Instead, he went the way of the weakling, casting his vote for Courtney instead of joining ranks in the Rob vs. Russell combat. His vote for someone other than Russell sealed Boston Rob's fate, and he was sent home. Rob didn't go without a shot at his former ally, though - before departing, he muttered to Coach, "You're a little man." Zing!

My second favourite guy out there, so of course just as Colby gets his mojo back, Rob's sent packing. No friggin' fair. Blows my mind that Russell lives on in the game. I hate his smug little weasly face.

But as long as the Colbster's still there, I'll be okay.

Too Much for this Colby Fan to Take

I'm a Colby fan. Anyone who has read this Blog in the past knows this. Die-hard. Tried and true.

But last night, Colby disappointed me. In what I figured to be his Heroes vs. Villains swan song, it looked like Colby had already packed it in. No fight and fire. No glorious speeches about how he can still be the best of the best and carry his team on his back. Nothing.

With Tom gone, Colby was on his own on a tribe of Heroes who have proven to be more a bunch of losers than anything. I had high hopes that now that he was down to the bottom of the barrel, we'd see Colby come out swinging like never before and show them what it really means to be a Hero.

And he had every opportunity to. The challenge was for both Reward & Immunity. In a twist, it was individual as well. Each tribe competed separately, against their own teammates, to see who would be safe from the vote at Tribal Council, as Probst announced that both tribes would be voting someone out. The two winners of Immunity would then go head-to-head to see who would win their tribe a hot dog feast, as well as an opportunity to listen in on the other tribe's TC.

The challenge had them each attached to a rope maze, in which they would have to toss themselves up and over fences and barricades to untangle themselves. A quick calculation in my head had me figuring Colby was the favourite to win for the Heroes. James is gimpy. Rupert is not exactly slender. JT is kinda lumpy. And while I figured the girls would have more agility, I didn't figure they'd have the speed or strength to get themselves through the maze as well as Colby could.

Big-time let-down. Not only did Colby lose. He lost bad. By the time Candice had won, Colby was still tangled up in the middle of the rope maze. He was last - even beind James on one leg, and flabby Rupert.

Boston Rob took it for the Villains, and then he also defeated Candice in the showdown for hot dogs and a sit-in on the Heroes' Tribal Council. Thank God for Rob, even though he is a Villain. At least he's entertaining me.

Rob and Russell finally got to get down to business, as they fought for power within their tribe to decide who would be going home. Rob had the numbers, but somehow, the weasly little Russell was able to outwit him. I thought Rob had the perfect plan worked out. Split their votes between Russell and Parvati, so that if Russell played his Hidden Immunity Idol (which they all assumed he had), Parvati would go home, instead of Tyson, who Russell's alliance would be voting for.

What a crazy Tribal Council. Russell finally produced his Idol, but rather than using it himself, he passed it to Parvati. Glee shone in Rob's eyes. What a stupid move, right?

Wrong. Russell had convinced Tyson to vote for Parvati instead of him, so rather than a split vote, Parvati had 4 votes cast against her that did not count. Russell ended up with only two votes against him, and Tyson had three. I didn't even like Tyson, but I completely hated that Russell was able to outsmart Rob! The look of total confusion and bewilderment reflected in Rob's eyes when he saw the 4th vote for Parvati come up...when he realized he didn't quite have the workings of the tribe in the palm of his hand...It was a big moment. And the battle between the two of them will only be heating up more next week. Rob won't be going down without a fight, I can guarantee that! And he's really not going to be happy that Russell outplayed him. It could get pretty interesting!

Meanwhile, the Heroes were weighing their options. Colby or James? James made a good case, even if I didn't like it. Colby just hasn't been in the game. Which is such a piss-off for me. He's generally been disappointing at challenges, and game-wise, he seems to be a shadow of what he used to be. Has the game of Survivor really changed that much since he owned it in the Outback? Is he really that out-classed by the rest of them? What happened to the Colby that threw his entire tribe on his back in Season 2 and carried them to victory, and then bolstered himself, winning individual Immunities left, right, and centre?

Colby didn't help his case much by basically throwing in the towel. He gave them the ol', "Hey guys, it's been a slice, I know I'm going home, let's all just relax." Then he went and floated in the water all day.

But despite Colby's lacklustre attitude, the rest of the Heroes were finally questioning James' bum leg. If the challenges to come were physical at all, would James be able to compete? They also had noticed James was eating more than anyone else, and that he was depleting their banana stock. (Thus, we now have the famous "Banana Etiquette.")

James wanted to prove he could still run, so he set up the Hero Olympics on the beach, with JT volunteering to race him. (This is when I really wanted Colby to jump up and say, "Hell, I'll race you too", and then blow 'em both away. But he was still floating in the water, paying no attention at all...arghhh!) So James and JT raced. If you could call it that. James practically had to hop on one leg, and JT ran backwards, and still beat him.

Even so, it didn't appear that the Heroes were overly-concerned. And who could blame them. Colby had all but given up. I was certain he was the one going home. It made me sad to think that a guy with a wonky knee was going to outlast the perfectly-fit Colby.

As the Villains sat chowing down on their hot dogs, Probst ran one of the most entertaining Tribal Councils ever, which led to a lot of laughter by both the Villains and the Heroes, even though Colby seemed to be at the butt of the jokes. James talked about watching Colby and idolizing him in Season 2. He said to see him now, it was like finding out Superman was wearing a fat suit. Again, Colby disappointed me. He didn't fight back. He shrugged, looked resigned, almost tired and old. His only jab at James was when, after James made it sound like he was an ancient, decrepit warlord from eons ago, Colby finally said, "Hey, I'm not that old."

And that's the thing. Colby's not old! He's still fit and muscular and powerful! Why haven't we seen it? I just don't get it!

I was all ready to say good-bye. And just like that, they surprise me by voting out James instead, unanimously.

Go figure. Colby survives, yet again. I really, really hope he gets a boost of energy from this. I don't think I can take watching this mopey, dopey Colby much longer!!

Now THAT'S What I Like To See!

Another win...and what a win it was!

Heading into the last stretch of games before the playoffs, this is the way I want to see my boys playing.

Tough. Chippy. Taking no crap from nobody.

It was a typical tilt against the Philadelphia Flyers. Dating back to 2004, when a game got completely out of hand and brawls broke out all over the ice (including a goalie tilt between Patrick Lalime and Robert Esche), there has been no love lost between Ottawa and Philly.

I discovered one of my most loathed villains of all-time last night. Daniel Carcillo. Just the mere appearance of the guy made my skin crawl. Couldn't stand him. The way he tried to stare down Anton Volchenkov after the A-Train rode him into the boards? Nice intimidation tactic, Carcillo. Unfortunately, this is the A-Train you're dealing with. I don't think he intimidates easily. Oh, and wanna rough up our young d-man, Erik Karlsson? Weighs about 120 lbs. soaking wet? Here, meet Andy Sutton. You want to dance, you're gonna have to do it with the BIG boys!

Easily, the most fun I've had watching a hockey game since...well, since the Gold Medal game in the Olympics.

The Sens came away with another 2-0 shut-out win, the second in as many nights, and it feels like we're hitting our stride again. Brian Elliott had an amazing game. With a little help from...guess who? Anton Volchenkov. The A-Train had a big game, laying hits out all over the ice (particularly fueling the fire with Carcillo), but possibly his best moment of the game came with time winding down in the third, the Sens hanging on to a 2-0 lead, Elliott down and out, and the Flyers scrambling all around the Sens' net. Volchenkov took the opportunity, as he often does, to play "back-up goalie", sitting in the goal crease and sweeping the puck out of the net before it could fully cross the line. It was a pretty questionable call, but after a lengthy video review, it was determined they could see no white between the line and the puck. A-Train in the perfect place at the perfect time, yet again!

And man, am I loving Andy Sutton. The dude is a giant. I loved it when he stepped in between Carcillo and Karlsson, standing up for his teammates, not letting the little goonie goo goo take any liberties. I didn't even care that Sutton was tagged with a roughing minor, on top of Karlsson's tripping penalty, handing the Flyers a 2-minute 2-man advantage. It ended up being one of the most awesome moments in the game, when the Sens were able to kill it off, and the fans stood and raised the roof with a rousing ovation.

Our goals came from Chris Kelly and Daniel Alfredsson. Alfie's came early in the third period after Volchenkov lay a questionable hit on Simon Gagne, drawing the attention of two other Flyers, while the Sens went in on the Philly net 4-on-2. Seemed pretty silly for them to just drop out of the play to seek revenge on Volchenkov, and following the goal, the celebration was cut short when a huge melée broke out. The really sweet part? The Sens ended up with a SEVEN MINUTE POWERPLAY out of it! How crazy-awesome is THAT?! They weren't able to capitalize on the lengthy man-advantage, but it effectively ended the game for the Flyers, as they were forced to spend much of the period killing the ensuing penalties.

So that's two wins in a row, and just like that, the panic seems to have subsided. The Sens are in 5th place in the Conference with 83 points, and their hold on a playoff position solidifies with each win.

Keep 'em coming, boys. This Spring is starting to get exciting!

Slump Ends...Phew.

I don't have time to write a full-length feature today, but may I just say:

THANK GOD THE SLUMP IS OVER!!

Okay, so it was only 5 games, but since the Olympic break ended, we'd only won once, against the bottom-feeding Edmonton Oilers. With the playoffs fast-approaching, it's literally been the worst time of year to hit the skids. I was starting to panic.

Then we went and beat the good ol' Habs last night in enemy territory. Brian Elliott earned his 4th shut-out of the season, and Erik Karlsson figured in on both Senator goals in the 2-0 victory after having a horrible game on Saturday in Dallas.

Phew. Feels like the monkey's off our backs. Here's hoping they keep it running tonight at home against Philly.

And here's my favourite photo from the Ottawa Citizen gallery from last night's game:

"Kiss my ass, losaaaaaa!"

St. Paddy's Day Shenanigans 2010

What is it about wearing the colour green that can turn a whole town into party-central?

It was that special time of year once again. On Sunday, March 14, our sleepy little town became a little more populated - with leprechauns - as people from all over the Ottawa Valley descended upon the famous Gavan's Hotel to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Decked from head to toe in varying shades of green, hundreds of people, young and old, packed into the hotel, ready to dance and drink and laugh, everyone buoyed by the Irish spirit. It's one of the few times that Gavan's is filled to capacity that you can almost guarantee there won't be any brawls. Everyone's too happy.

Nobody cares that they have to stand in lines for half an hour for a drink. Nobody cares that the drunk guy who just walked by sloshed his beer down your back. Nobody cares that they ordered their wings an hour ago and they still haven't been served.

For one day, we're all friends, brought together by fiddle music and stepdancing and shamrocks galore.

Literally, one of my favourite days of the year.

Yesterday was the actual day, but because the Gavan's party is always on Sunday, there's nothing going on there on the 17th. That didn't stop us from heading back down. We pumped the jukebox full of coins, choosing mostly Irish songs to listen to - the heavy favourite seemed to be a song by the Dropkick Murphys called "Kiss Me, I'm Sh*tfaced" - if only I'd known about this song on Sunday, it would have been my pick-up line... We had a few drinks, along with a few other locals who had decided to stay close to home for the big day, rather than heading to the city pubs, or the massive celebration in Douglas. As I put in my Facebook status last night, it's a lot closer to just walk home from Gav's!

All in all, a crazy week of memories...or not so much. Sunday's kind of a fuzzy blur. But St. Paddy's Day 2010 will always make me think of chicken bones and Big Macs, Sarah & I giving the same guy our numbers (which is the same number, so she warned him to be specific if he calls...), finding pictures of myself on stage with Gail Gavan but having no recollection of it at all, the Spandex Leprechaun, the St. Paddy's Day Mod Squad, "Big Mistake. Big. Huge.", and all the warnings I failed to heed.

Can't wait for next year!!

Wishy-Washy JT

At the start of last Thursday's episode of Survivor, Colby declared JT a true hero for saving his neck and voting out Cirie at Tribal Council.

By the end of the episode, he was growling about how nobody knew which way JT would vote because he's so damn wishy-washy.

Amen, brother.

It seemed for the third week in a row, JT was the swing vote. And yes, that does mean the Heroes lost again. Both Luxury and Immunity Challenges. Yikes.

First, they lost an aggressive game of wrestling-slash-basketball and watched the Villains walk away with the big prize: a trip to a beautiful watering hole and a massive feast of chocolate. More important to the Heroes than losing the chocolate, though, was that James was taken out of the game after suffering a blow to his knee. He had to stay behind with the medics after the game was over to have it checked out, leading to speculation back at camp as to whether or not he would return.

James did return, but their relief at seeing one of their strongest players coming back was quickly snuffed out when they realized he was limping badly with a huge brace on his leg. Now what damn good is he going to be in challenges? This was the immediate reaction of Candice, Colby and Tom. However, Rupert and Amanda somehow felt that James on one bum leg was better than Tom on two good legs.

HUH?

I was really hoping they wouldn't have to make a decision this past week, but sure enough, they lost yet another puzzle-building challenge. After the loss, Colby mused over how they couldn't win puzzle challenges. Or basketball challenges. Basically, the only ones they can win are sumo-mud-wrestling challenges.

So off to Tribal Council they went yet again, with JT promising everyone he was voting with them. Seriously. How did this guy ever win his season? He makes promises to everybody, and nobody ever really knows which way he's going to go. One minute he's with Colby, Tom and Candice; the next he's with James, Amanda and Rupert. Soooo frustrating!

Unfortunately for Tom, everyone but Colby had somehow come to the most bizarre conclusion that they'd rather keep the angsty, one-legged James over him. It's logic that I still fail to see. And once again, we've got Colby on the outs. I hate this game...

Could the Villains please lose this week so that we can get a taste of the Russell vs. Boston Rob showdown that they've been teasing us with for the past few weeks? It's time for those two boys to come to blows! And it's time for the Heroes to catch a damn break!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

How I Came to Love Sid the Kid

I have a confession to make.

Up until February 28, 2010, there were few players in the NHL - in the entire world - that I detested more than our newly-anointed Golden God.

That's right. Up until he shot the overtime winner by USA's goaltender Ryan Miller, causing an entire nation to erupt in a patriotic euphoria that only Olympic Hockey Gold can do, I hated him. I loathed Sidney Crosby.

See, world tournaments, particularly the pinnacle event at the Winter Olympics every four years, are a hard thing for me to wrap my head around. Of course I love my country. Of course Canada comes first. "Maple Leaf Forever", and all that jazz.

But for those of us who are die-hard fans of NHL teams, it's kind of a lot to ask - that we put aside our normal, comfortable, proud allegiances to players around the world to cheer on our country for two weeks.

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow knowing Alfie would not be getting a medal of any kind. A little thrill of happiness knowing Jarkko Rutuu brought back the Bronze.

Even more difficult is throwing support behind a collection of players of which many I have little love for. Chris Pronger? Scott Niedermayer? Bastards played for the Ducks when they beat us in the finals in '07. Joe Thornton? Never liked that guy. Marty Brodeur? One of our greatest foes, playing nets for one of our biggest Eastern Conference rivals.

Don't even get me started on Dany Heatley.

Aside from Jarome Iginla (who I've always thought was sexy as hell, and has the cutest smile everrrrr), I didn't have a whole lot of love for a many of those Canadian players going into the Olympic tournament.

And then there was Sid the Kid. The second-coming of Gretzky. The Chosen One.

The walking epitome of a primadonna if I ever saw one.

My disgust and hatred for Crosby? Probably more intense due to the fact that we've met up several times in the playoffs over the past few years, and if there's ever a way for hatred for the enemy to grow and fester, it's in the playoffs. I've always felt Crosby thinks he deserves special treatment because he is like hockey's new Messiah. He's known to dive, known to whine, known to chase after referees looking for a call...basically just known to be a big damn baby.

If you're a Crosby fan, you overlook these things, and you defend him. "Hey! He's Sid the Friggin' Kid! Of COURSE he should get his way!!"

For the rest of us? His act grows a little tiresome.

If you'd asked me before the Olympics who I would pick in the on-going, much-hyped "Who's Better - Crosby or Ovechkin?" debate, I'd have taken Alexander the Great any day. I love Ovechkin's enthusiasm. I love how he is always trying to be better than Crosby. I even love his show-boating. He's like a kid who can't get enough.

In 2007, the year the Senators went to the Stanley Cup finals, the first opponent we did away with that Spring was young Sidney and his Penguins. Back then, we the fans had our knuckles rapped by a local sports writer who didn't think it was right for us to boo "The Next Big Thing". He scolded us for being childish and petty, and for displaying any sort of negative reaction to His Royal Highness.

We booed louder.

Since then, the rivalry has only grown stronger.

So yes, it was a little difficult to cheer for this guy, even though he was wearing the red Maple Leaf. And even after he scored in the shoot-out to beat Switzerland in the round robin. Even then, I still had a sour taste in my mouth when I was forced to cheer for Sid.

But on February 28th, after the Americans had tied things up with less than 30 seconds to go in regulation time of the Gold medal game, and I - along with the rest of a country gripped with anxiety - had to sit through 7 minutes and 40 seconds of overtime, it was inevitable.

When Sid picked up a pass from Iginla and shot it past Miller to begin the epic Golden celebration and bring to a close the stellar Vancouver Games, I couldn't help it.

I was screaming and cheering and fist-pumping with the best of 'em.

The following day, when I saw a guy wearing a Team Canada jersey with Crosby's name and number on the back...I kinda wished I had one.

So, my opinion on Crosby has been forced to change a little. He's a Canadian hero now. He will go down in the history books as scoring one of the biggest, most important goals in our nation's history. He's right up there with Paul Henderson.

For my generation, he is Paul Henderson.

Now...well, now, I gotta love him.

That being said, I'm pretty sure that could all change if we face them in the playoffs again this year. I could be cursing Cry-Baby Crosby again very, very soon...

But until then...I'll celebrate him. He's the one who brought us the Gold, after all. I don't think I'll ever hate him with the same fervor again.

Colby Survives...Barely

You know what's been missing so far this season on Survivor? I know we're only 4 episodes in to the Heroes vs. Villains showdown, but up until last Thursday night, there hadn't been any Tribal Council surprises.

It took a little maneuvering and scheming by Tom and Colby, but they finally remedied that.

Clearly on the outs at their camp, Tom and Colby were scrambling to save themselves from being voted out at Tribal Council, if they did, in fact, have to go back again. After the Reward Challenge (which they lost), both they and the Villains discovered a clue indicating where they could find the Hidden Immunity Idols on their beaches.

At the Villains' beach, they made a group decision to ignore the Idol, as Boston Rob claimed anyone who went looking for it would have their head on the chopping block. Sneaky little Russell, though, who was apparently the King of finding Hidden Immunity Idols (without even getting clues!) last season, immediately went in search of it. Rob sent Sandra to spy on him, and she brought back the news that yes, indeed, Russell was out there looking for it.
Warning: Major showdown gonna happen between Russell & Rob!! Stay tuned!!

Back at the Hereos' beach, everyone beetled off in different directions instantly after they found the clue. James went one way. JT another. Everyone started picking ends of the beach and took off. Tom found a promising tree to search under, but a crowd had gathered by the time he found the Idol, and Amanda saw him putting it in his sock. Word spread quickly, and Tom knew it was no secret that he had it in his possession.

The Heroes went on to lose yet another Challenge, this time for Immunity, in a close battle that saw Boston Rob direct his blindfolded teammates to a win just a fraction of a second ahead of Tom.

At camp, it appeared everyone on the non-Colby & Tom alliance were going to split their votes between the two men, counting on Tom playing his Idol and Colby going home. Colby and Tom made a strong case that Candice, a less physical threat and more scrambly player, should be ousted instead. It appeared they had JT, James, and Amanda on-board, but that two-faced Amanda went and reported to Cirie right away. Bitch!!

Cirie went crazy, telling them they were all ridiculous to even think about voting out Candice ahead of Colby when they had the chance. And once again, the power appeared to have shifted, and it looked like Colby's time on the Island was almost over. I was worried...seriously worried.

However, the good guys knew the one player to go after - the one player who they felt they could manipulate and convince - and that was JT. Cornering him, Colby and Tom presented a new option. Cirie seemed to have everyone under her control; the one masterminding the game. What about shake things up and get rid of her in a blindside? If the three of them wrote down her name, and everyone else split their votes between Colby and Tom, Cirie would go home. They had given JT something to think about.

At Tribal, I still wasn't convinced that JT was going to follow the plan. However, after Probst put a spotlight on the glaring flaws in their strategies by confronting Rupert about his weak philosophy on sticking to his alliance's wishes rather than going with what he felt would be best for the team to start winning challenges, I had a feeling JT might wake up. And that he did.

Tom played his Idol, so all votes cast against him didn't count. Colby racked up 2 votes against him, and then the Cirie votes started coming up. 1-2...and 3. JT had come through and they had accomplished the very first blindside of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains! I did some serious fist-pumping!!

So Colby lives to see another day in Samoa. I've got my fingers crossed that this changes the dynamics at their camp and they actually start winning some challenges. I can't take another close call like that anytime soon!

Gettin' Down & Dirty

Once again, my Survivor re-cap falls on the day of the next episode. Way late, but better late than never, right? I was truly so caught up in Olympic fever that my ideas for that Blog were running through my head, and I couldn't put anything else down until I got that big spiel out!

Last week's Survivor was a bit of a relief for me. Finally - finally - the Heroes won the combined Immunity/Reward Challenge. For the first time, they did not have to go to Tribal Council, and they received their luxury items that they brought with them as reward. They also somewhat cleared the air around camp, with James and Tom talking civilly. Tom explained to James why he and Colby felt so threatened by him, and told him of a few of his "bully" techniques that weren't going to win him any popularity points. James listened quietly for a change. While I'm not sure we've seen the last of James' brute temper, it was nice to see some of the tension being eased within their tribe. It hasn't been that peaceful & cohesive in the Heroes Camp since Day 1!

At the Challenge, the Heroes finally got to compete in a purely physical challenge - "Sumo in Mud". Two competitors faced off on a platform surrounded by thick, icky goop. Holding big bags, they were to try and force their opponent off the platform and into the mud, using nothing but the bag to push them. The first team to 8 points would be declared the winner.

The Heroes wasted no time throwing their weight around, knocking the Villains off with ease. The only taste of victory they had was when Coach knocked Rupert off, but as he celebrated wildly, Jeff tried interrupting to tell him he had used his arm to push Rupert off. Once Coach stopped celebrating long enough to listen, he was furious to hear they had to battle again. This time, it was no contest - Rupert got rid of him quickly.

Probably the most evenly-fought battle - and the one I was most worried about - was Colby vs. Boston Rob. After Colby suffered that humiliating loss in the first challenge when Coach dragged him to the wrong mat, I was worried he would be the only Hero beaten again. Not that Rob isn't a worthy competitor, and losing to him wouldn't be anything to be ashamed of, but after so many of his teammates before him had won, it would have sucked if Colby had lost.

Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about. It was a tough and dirty battle, but Colby eventually pushed Rob off the platform and into the mud. And looked quite sexy doing so, I might add. Heroes 8 - Villains 0.

So the Villains headed off to TC for the first time, with lots of chatter in camp leading up to it as to who they should vote out. Take out one of the surliest players in history who has nothing in common with the tribe, like Randy? Or target one of the biggest female competitors who somehow manages to trick her teammates with her sweet, flirty smile - as in, Parvati?

I was really rooting for them to send Parvati home. Not that I like Randy. And not that I really dislike Parvati that much (at least, not anymore...I hated her the first season she played, but she kind of won me over the second time). I just hoped the Villains would be a little smarter and go after someone who is a real threat to win the game. And Parvati is, indeed, that: a genuine, bonafide threat.

But instead, they went with Randy, who spent much of his time floating alone in the water and struggling to even communicate with his tribe. (It was painful to watch him try to coax them into eating the giant clam he caught. When Rob brought one back on week one, they toasted him as if he was a hunting & fishing genius. Randy brings one back, and they all act as if he offered them a dose of the chicken pox.)

The good news? Randy won't care. Randy hates everybody. When he threw his buff in the fire before departing, it was as if he was declaring, "Good riddance - never felt like I was one of you anyways".

It was a perfect farewell to a Survivor Villain.

Who will go home tonight? Be sure to tune in and find out!!

GOLD RUSH 2010: Olympic Memories

There will be seventeen days in February of 2010 that I will always remember: The 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Maybe it was because it was in Canada. Maybe it was because Mom & Dad got a new flat screen just in time to watch the Games. Maybe it was because there were so many HOT Canadian men competing. I'm not sure what the main drawing card was. But this is the first time I remember being so in love with the Olympics. Enjoying them so much - immersing myself in them so completely - that it was truly a bittersweet, tearful moment when the torch was snuffed out Sunday night while Neil Young played "Long May You Run".

Seventeen days of watching the best in the world compete. Seventeen days of watching the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Seventeen days of watching our country unite and display wild and thrilling patriotism like never before.

But at the beginning, there were doubts that this Olympics would go down as a success. In fact, early reports were that it was destined to be a complete failure.

On Day 1, even before the Opening Ceremonies began, the tragic news broke of a horrific accident on the luge track which claimed the life of Georgian Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili. The Opening Ceremonies were tarnished by a "hydraulic malfunction" when one arm of the Olympic Torch failed to rise from the floor, leaving Catriona Le May Doan, as one of the torch lighters, hanging with nothing to do. And then the rain began - not usually helpful at an event requiring lots of snow - causing delays and terrible conditions on the ski hills of Whistler.

Initial reviews of the Vancouver Games were not good. It was embarassing.

But as Canadians, we found the Silver lining...and then the Gold. Jen Heil kicked things off with our first medal, a silver, in the women's freestyle moguls. The following day, Alexandre Bilodeau did her one better in the men's event and catapaulted himself into superstardom in this country by being the first Canadian athlete to ever win Gold on home soil. The whole country cheered right along with his older brother and biggest fan Fredric, who suffers from cerebral palsy. I'll never forget seeing the images of Fredric leaping to his feet when Alex's golden score was revealed. It was a beautiful moment.

However, as the first week continued, there were more let-downs than victories. Canadians that were expected to medal in their events were failing to do so, and the much-hyped Own the Podium campaign was gradually being declared a bust. The Americans were the ones owning the medal standings, and Canada had dropped to 5th place.

Perhaps one of the most devestating moments to watch during Week 1 was Melissa Hollingsworth, one of the favourites to hit the podium in Women's Skeleton racing, following her unsuccessful final run. She had been in 2nd place after her 3rd run, but then a few mistakes in her final heat dropped to 5th place, clearly a huge disappointment for her. When they interviewed her live afterwards, tears running down her cheeks, she apologized to her country for failing them. I have never wanted so badly to reach into the TV and hug someone. If I could have said anything to Melissa at that moment, I would've told her this: You did not fail us. You jump on a sled and fly down an icy track - head-first - for your country. You are brave, you are amazing, and you are a hero.

That same night, devestation was transformed to joy, and Canada found itself another icon: Men's Skeleton racer Jon Montgomery. Running second going into his final heat, Jon burnt up the track of ice and brought home another Gold medal for Canada. After his win, he famously strolled the streets of Whistler Village, celebrating with his fans, chugging a pitcher of beer, and winning the hearts of Canadians with his goofy charm and good looks. An indication of Jon Montgomery's popularity? He even made it to Oprah! (And he also became the first member of my Hall of Hot Olympic Men.)

Then came Super Sunday. A full week into the games, Canada had taken the opportunity to cheer whenever possible, but still we seemed bogged down by negativity from around the world. And Super Sunday didn't help build our morale. That night, the Canadian Men's Hockey team faced their biggest adversary to date in the round-robin: Team USA. Bolstered by the hot play of goaltender Ryan Miller, the American Men trounced the Canadians 5-3, and our already-fragile psyche took a beating with them. Highly anticipated to win gold, suddenly the men were facing a long, uphill battle - it would take 4 straight wins to earn them that coveted prize. Not impossible...but difficult to do.

Compounding the sadness of that loss was another one, much greater, as news broke that Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette's mother had passed away from a heart attack, only hours after arriving in Vancouver to cheer on her daughter. She was only 55 years old. No one could expect Joannie to go on after such devestation, and no one would have forced her.

However, Joannie became one of the greatest inspirations of these games, making the choice to continue on and perform in honour of her mom. The medal was no longer important. She was doing this for herself and for her family, in memory of her biggest supporter.

Two days after losing her mother, Joannie performed her short program with the love from her country pouring out, and she remarkably placed third in a flawless skate. When she broke into tears as the music stopped, there was not a dry eye in the place - not a dry eye in Canada. Then, two days later, she capped off her incredible story with another strong skate, earning her a place on the podium and a Bronze medal. Is it any wonder this amazing girl was chosen as a joint recipient of the Terry Fox Award, as well as being appointed Canada's flag bearer at the Closing Ceremonies? Truly remarkable. Simply amazing.

On the wings of Joannie's courageous performance, our country finally began to flourish. With the Own the Podium campaign already declared a failure, the pressure was off...and suddenly, it appeared Canada was, indeed, "owning the podium" - on the most important step. GOLD. We took Gold in Women's 2-person Bobsled (and Silver as well), Gold in Women's Hockey, Gold for Ashley McIvor in Women's Ski-Cross, Gold for Maelle Ricker in Women's Snowboard Cross, Gold for Christine Nesbitt in Speedskating, Gold for Scott Moir & Tessa Virtue in Ice Dance, Gold in Men's Team Pursuit Speedskating, Gold in Men's Relay Speedskating.

The Gold Rush was on!

Amidst the Gold, though, came another little disappointment which my family are still teasing me about. I had seen several features on CTV for Chris Del Bosco, a top contender for Gold in the Men's Ski-Cross, and I had fallen in love with Chris. Here was a guy who had already overcome so much, battling addictions to drugs and alcohol, beating those addictions, and now poised to become the first-ever winner of the Ski-Cross, a new event at the Olympics. Del Bosco had made it to the final run; however, closing in on the finish line in third place, he tried to push it to improve his position, and ended up crashing instead. No medal in Ski-Cross.

I was severely disappointed, as I had already made room for him in my Hall of Hot Olympic Men, alongside Jon Montgomery and my favourite from the Men's Hockey team, Jarome Iginla...

Now, what would the Games be without a little romance (aside from my Olympic crushes)? Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast absolutely adored the love shown between speedskaters Charles Hamelin and Marianne St-Gelais. When Marianne won silver, Charles was shown behind the scenes cheering loudly. When he won Gold a few days later, she was in the stands screaming her head off, and then she jumped down to ice-level and he leaped into her arms for a passionate embrace. They became Canada's favourite lovebirds!

Another great story was Clara Hughes, now Canada's most decorated Olympian and the flag bearer in the Opening Ceremonies, after she took Bronze in longtrack speedskating as her Olympic swan song. Hughes can claim victories in both Winter and Summer Olympics, as she also competed in cycling, and her name will go down in our country's history books as one of our best athletes ever.

I got caught up in yet another "swan song" story on Saturday, as the Olympics were winding down, when I heard that Snowboarder Jasey Jay Anderson, competing for the last time on the Olympic stage at age 34, was hoping to take home an Olympic medal for the first time. Jasey Jay is one of the most decorated snowboarders in history, but that Olympic medal had eluded him. I started watching the Snowboard Slalom early in the afternoon, and it lasted hours, with the pouring rain making it difficult to watch. I watched him move on, heat after heat, out-lasting his other Canadian competitors, until it was just down to him and Austria's Benjamin Karl. Karl got the jump in the first heat of the Gold medal run, taking a seven-tenths of a second lead on Anderson, but in the final heat, it was all Jasey Jay. With his wife and two young daughters watching on, the blueberry farmer from Mont Tremblant claimed his Gold, I found a new member for my Hall of Hot Olympic Men, and Jasey Jay wrote the perfect final chapter to his Olympic story! Awesome!

That very night, there was a bit of an Olympic battle going on in my parents' living room, as my mom was insisting we were watching the Men's Curling, with Canada hoping for Gold. However, since Curling is my least favourite sport to watch, I was arguing that we should watch the Men's 4-person Bobsled. I lost that fight. And I was so happy that I did, as I discovered yet another member for my Hall of Hot Olympic Men...Canadian curler, the absolutely dreamy John Morris!

(I was also happy that our competitors were the Norwegians, and I finally got to see their famous Curling pants in action!)

So I watched Kevin Martin's rink bring us home yet another Gold medal, a day after the ladies won Silver, which brought us to 13 Gold medals, tying the Winter Olympics record for most Gold medals won.

That left us with one more chance at a Gold medal, a chance to break the Gold record, in the Crown Jewel event of the Winter Olympics.

Is there a single, living, breathing soul in this country who didn't want to be in Vancouver Sunday afternoon to watch our Men's hockey team, who had made it past the Germans, Russians, and Slovaks to end up in the Gold medal game in a re-match with Team USA?!

Canada took a 2-0 lead on goals from Jonathan Toews and Corey Perry, and we could taste it...the Gold...it was ours for the taking. But the Americans were not an opponent to take lightly, and they battled back. When they tied the game with less than 30 seconds left in the third period, I'm pretty sure our entire country was about to go into heart failure. (Or, as I liked to say that day, "I'm going into renal failure. I can feel it. It's renal failure." I had no idea I was talking about my kidneys.)

Overtime. And we all know anything can happen in Overtime. But I'm not sure anyone could have penned a better finale to the 2010 Winter Olympics than this:

Canada's biggest hockey icon since Wayne Gretzky, the young and formidable Sidney Crosby, scored in Overtime to win the Gold.

And with that goal, an entire nation rejoiced and celebrations broke out in the streets of our country, in our own home... everywhere...chanting Crosby's name and the now-infamous cries of "Louuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"

At our house, that celebration was so loud, it caused the 4-year-old to cry. But he composed himself to go outside and honk car horns with the neighbours, while the chant from someone's nearby home drifted over: "CAN-A-DA! CAN-A-DA! CAN-A-DA!" And after the Gold medals had been awarded and the flag rose, my family gathered in the living room again to sing O Canada. Even Caden sang along - his favourite song.

It didn't seem fair that just a few short hours later, it was time to bid farewell to the Vancouver Olympic Games. But they did it in the Canadian way, poking fun at ourselves by having a repairman "fix" that broken hydraulic arm so that Catriona Le May Doan could finally have her moment to light the flame, just moments before it was extinguished again. There were giant hockey players and mounties and beavers and moose, a few big-name appearances by William Shatner, Catherine O'Hara, and Michael J. Fox, along with that bittersweet performance by Neil Young. Then the party broke out, with the athletes running down to the floor to enjoy some of Canada's greatest talents in Nickelback, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morisette, Simple Plan, and Hedley.

The next day, this entire country had one giant hangover. But it was well worth it.

As Jasey Jay said earlier in the day, could we all take a vote and keep this thing going for another two weeks??

14 Gold. 7 Silver. 5 Bronze. 3rd Place in the Medal Standings.

Seventeen days of memories. And one hell of a celebration to bring it to a close.

It was absoultely...Golden.