The Infamous Writers Hockey Pool: Week 8

AAaaawwwww, is this fun or what!?!!

Just by a fluke, I had to be in Vancouver on Wednesday. And the minute I took my first breath of that clean Pacific air, I picked up the scent of something I remembered from Toronto in 1992 and 1993 when the Blue Jays were in the World Series.

I love the smell of anticipation in the morning. It smells like -- Victory!

Now don't get all envious or bent out of shape. I didn't manage to score a ticket to the game (although I tried my damndest).

But late in the afternoon as I rolled past the star-mural bedecked stadium and stared across a sea of blue sweatered guys all named "Luongo", I didn't feel bad about that.

If there was a free seat, it belonged to one of them -- one of the fans who has prayed 40 years for this moment and now gets to live it to the fullest.

I actually caught the game aboard a BC Ferry sailing up the coast, packed into a TV lounge with a massive crowd who had chewed their fingers to the quick.

There was a deafening roar at the 19 second mark when the Canucks finally scored. That shout echoed up and down the Strait of Juan de Fuca, rolling back to us accompanied by the whistles of other ships and fishing boats.

This country! Wouldn't it be great if somebody wanted to put it on television…

So Raffi Torres gets to be the first hero of this series. And who saw that coming?

Boston, you have nothing to apologize for. Both teams played magnificently. And if this series builds like all finals do, this might be the finest Stanley Cup series we've seen in a while. The Hockey Gods have truly chosen to bless us this Spring.

I'm told that while Canadian TV numbers are through the roof, they've taken a significant jump across the border and around the world as well.

In Boston, the game scored a 25.5 share. That's 6 POINTS HIGHER than last year's Lakers/Celtics NBA Final. Nationwide, NBC claimed the game had given the network their best overnight numbers in 12 years!

Hell, even Right-Wing, Football Lovin' American media pundits and Presidential candidates have taken an interest -- and they're not rooting for who you might imagine…

Here at The Legion, the competitions continue.

We've been inundated with entries for the Props Contest, thanks in no small part to screenwriter and legendary Puck Bunny, Karen Walton, whose heart sutures have finally healed after the departure of her beloved Habs. Karen encouraged her army of "Inkies" to get involved and a ton of them did.

It's so nice to see younger scribes adopting the debauched vices of their elders!

In the Main Race…

Tim Stubinski leads with Will Pascoe and Carleen Kyle clawing their way onto the podium.

Just a heads up that I've had two poolies contact me to say, "Hey, you got me down as picking this guy when I really picked that guy." So I'll double check all the entries when I get home to the files this weekend and make any necessary adjustments for the Monday report.

Until then, your full standings are: