New Scaratings

I just wanted to say that I enjoyed last Thursday's Topix on the NHL.

Just a little surprised that a team bar in Ohio would post the highest scores on this game. I used to live in Ohio (the other end, nearer to Dayton), where the Dayton Gems (of the former IHL) and Columbus Owls (same league) and Cincinnati Swords (AHL) and Stingers (WHA) all had their day and folded (need I mention the Cleveland Barons?), and where the average person's attitude toward hockey was "I like it because of the fights." Anyway, congrats to West Park for a tremendous team effort.

I expected the top scores to be dominated by Canadians; only three (one from Ontario and the other two from Alberta) topped my own score from either feed. The only two questions that really tripped me were the name of the Avalanche captain, and the name of the current official of the Lightning; on the latter question I actually started with Yzerman, but associated him too much with the Wings and jumped; definitely something I shouldn't have done. The other questions I either knew cold or was able to figure out the answer after bleeding a few points.

Was planning on playing at Adams Mill, but I had to go home right after work. Going to Adams Mill is an 18-mile drive, one-way. Hence, I played at Chicago Sams ("Rookies").

-- RWM

The NHL topix was pretty good except for the owner Qs.

So how about a bar from that hockey hotbed of last place Washington DC taking 6th place overall?
Only 1 Canuk bar could beat us? Shameful.

Back-to-back questions torpedoed SAKIC's and my scores. Gabriel Landeskog had me grumbling until the factoid pointed out he is the youngest captain in league history (okay, I suppose that's significant . . .). Then we were on Toe Blake for the four decades coach, which completed the one-two Punch on our games. We also bled a little bit on when the NHL doubled from 6 to 12 teams, keying in 1966-67 before the beer fog cleared enough for us to realize we had the wrong '67

It pleases me that the Leafs have never been able to win a Cup when the NHL has had more than 7 opponents

The "four-decades coach" question I think I got for 988 or so. I pressed Punch Imlach because I knew he had coached the Leafs in the '50s but I prominently heard his name in the late '70s, so that was my educated guess after a bit of thought. Right off the bat I was looking for Scotty Bowman on that question, but his name wasn't one of the choices, so I went with Imlach. I was definitely relieved when that turned out to be the answer.

Another question where I had 1000 points but for the wrong reason was the Jean Béliveau question. I recognized three of the choices as being awards given prior to 1965, but wasn't sure about the Calder or Conn Smythe, but went with Conn Smythe because Calder was already the answer to a previous question. My thinking was clouded by time pressure panic, but I lucked out there.

Never been a huge Leafs fan, but I'd like to see them win the Cup if only because it now has been 46 years and counting.

-- RWM

Hey, at least those franchises won in 1986 and 2006*, respectively

Well, 2006 doesn't count. I hate to tell you who I rooted for in that season's Finals.

I thought last night's Topix on South Africa was terrible.

-- RWM