Canadian Crossing

And then there was one: Vancouver is Canada's last shot at Cup

The Canada rooters came into the first round with 3 of the 16 Stanley Cup final teams based in Canada. After the first round, the Vancouver Canucks are all that is left.

Montréal did not put up much of a battle against the top-seed Boston Bruins. But Calgary was given every chance to edge out Chicago. The Flames played tough in Chicago, though they came away with a goose egg. Calgary dominated in games 3-4 in Alberta, but their momentum fizzled when they went back to the Windy City for Game 5.

Vancouver will get to find out how good the Blackhawks are as the Canucks draw Chicago in the second round. The Blackhawks won their first playoff series since beating the Flames in 1996. That is not a misprint.

Vancouver is rested, something an NHL team doesn't always want. But the Canucks were banged up in the first round, and as long as goalie Roberto Luongo remains hot, Vancouver will go far.

I saw no Canadian TV cut-ins in Versus' coverage so far, but to be fair, the Flames' games have been blacked out here in terms of the national feed. Then again, Chicago hadn't been in the playoffs in any form since 2002. Hopefully, all of Canucks hockey will be featured on the national feed in the second round; since they are playing Chicago, I will get every second of the Canucks' next round.

Lovers of the Original 6 would love to see Detroit and Chicago in the conference finals, with either Boston or the New York Rangers in the Eastern final. In this corner, we will still root for Vancouver, but we do understand the sentiment.

Vancouver advances to conference semifinals

The Vancouver Canucks are off to a wonderful start in the playoffs. The Canucks finished off St. Louis in four straight games, becoming the first team to advance to the next round. This was the first-ever best-of-7 sweep for the Canucks in team history.

When you look at the scores, it would seem the Canucks had tough games, winning three games by a goal, including the overtime win to clinch the series. But they handled the pressure really well, and that will help them in the next series.

If Detroit wins, but San Jose loses, Vancouver plays the Chicago/Calgary winner. Otherwise, assuming Detroit advances, Vancouver would play the Red Wings. Teams are reseeded after the playoff round.

Calgary finds itself trailing 2-1 to the Blackhawks, but each team has won at home so far, and the Flames have played pretty well. Since I've been heavily monitoring the playoffs, no two Canadian teams have played each other, but if Calgary gets past Chicago, we could see an all-Canadian battle in the conference semifinals.

If only the news were better out east, where Montréal has played poorly against Boston. The Canadiens trail 3-0 in the series to the Eastern Conference top seed. Don't expect them to last much longer.

We have seen no CBC coverage on Versus. Perhaps the TSN feed has been shown, but given my home base, there is a blackout. Would have been nice to see the one Montréal game they showed to be from the CBC feed.

By the way, Game 4 of Vancouver-St. Louis was taken off the U.S. national feed, disappointing given how exciting the game was. But Canadian-based teams aren't going to get good treatment by U.S. TV. Pretty sad when Versus had plenty of time in between games on Tuesday -- the channel showed lots of highlights and even live action. For Vancouver-St. Louis, there was no live look-in, and when highlights were finally shown, none of the Vancouver goals made it into the highlights. If the Canucks go far into the playoffs, it would be nice if the U.S. network treated them with respect.

Colbert jokes about moving to Canada in order to get NHL highlights

Stephen Colbert's tagline in the show's open earlier tonight on the "Colbert Report":

"For NHL playoff highlights and scores, move to Canada."

Colbert loves to joke about Canada. But as someone who follows hockey in the States, and is appalled at what ESPN calls sports highlights coverage, what he says makes sense. It's funny, regardless.

Waking up Canadian

Citizenship -- and having multiple citizenships -- is a crucial issue among some who travel between the U.S. and Canada. There is a new law that will kick in up north in Canada, restoring previous lost citizenship rights.

Rachel Maddow had a nice, but brief segment on the move (in the video above). In the video, Maddow explains that her brother might become Canadian, though she herself wouldn't be.

As we have discovered in the past, Maddow's mother is a Newfie, someone from Newfoundland and Labrador. Though Maddow explains in the current video that her mother had to renounce her Canadian citizenship, apparently when she came to the U.S.

For those who think Canada is similar enough to the U.S. should see this video, produced by the Canadian government to remind people that some can regain their Canadian citizenship lost when taking on the citizenship of other countries.

Breaking down the 2009 NHL playoffs

Can't say I'm surprised that we will only see 1 Montréal game in the United States. Once again, the country (outside Boston and the NHL Center Ice package) won't see the #1 Eastern Conference seed, outside of one game, in the first round. Not a way to boost the sport, Mr. Bettman.

Since NBC is carrying part of the playoffs, why not have some of the games on USA or some other Universal channel (NBC owns USA)?

I'm pleased and pleasantly stunned that all of Vancouver's games will be on TV in the States. I didn't think Vancouver vs. St. Louis was that exciting, but I will take what I can get. Hopefully, some of those games will be CBC feeds.

There should be TSN feeds for Calgary vs. Chicago, but it looks like I won't find out. I would normally complain about only getting 3 games in this series on U.S. TV. But I confess I personally can't complain, because I get all the games through Blackhawks TV. I can complain for you, but not for me. But since Versus will be blacked out, I won't get a TSN feed if they use it.

I wouldn't care if Versus will show games tape-delayed at 1 a.m. or 4 a.m. I would gladly tape the games to watch later. Maybe next year I should just get the NHL Center Ice package. I confess I would have done it this year, but they split the Hockey Night in Canada package to the NHL Network (which costs extra). I get the MLB Network added for free, because Comcast has a financial stake in the channel.

Predictions? Being an #8 seed isn't fun, but if anyone can be anybody, it's Montréal beating Boston. The Bruins want revenge on multiple levels, but the Canadiens have had their number. This series goes farther than the experts will predict, but I think in the end, Boston wins in 7.

I am a great believer that if you haven't been in the playoffs in a while that the first time back is extremely tough. St. Louis and Chicago have long droughts, especially in getting past the first round. Vancouver and Calgary have tough playoff backgrounds. So I pick Vancouver in 5 and Calgary in 6.

2009 NHL Playoff schedule

2009 NHL Playoffs
* game available on Versus in the United States

2009 EASTERN CONFERENCE

(8) Montréal vs. (1) Boston
all games on CBC and RDS

April 16   at Boston, 7p
April 18   at Boston, 8p*
April 20   at Montréal , 7p
April 22   at Montréal , 7p
April 25   at Boston, 7p
April 27   at Montréal , TBD
April 29   at Boston, TBD

2008 WESTERN CONFERENCE

(3) Vancouver vs. (6) St. Louis
all games available on CBC
games 1-2, 5-7 available on RDS

April 15     at Vancouver, 10p*
April 17     at Vancouver, 10p*
April 19     at St. Louis, 7p*
April 21     at St. Louis, 8p*
April 24     at Vancouver, 10p*
April 26     at St. Louis, 8p*
April 28     at Vancouver, TBD*

Calgary (5) vs. Chicago (4)
all games on TSN

April 16     at Chicago, 8:30p*
April 18     at Chicago, TBD
April 20     at Calgary, 9:30p*
April 22     at Calgary, TBD*
April 25     at Chicago, 10p
April 27     at Calgary, TBD
April 29     at Chicago, TBD

2009 NHL Playoffs
* game available on Versus in the United States

2009 EASTERN CONFERENCE

(8) Montréal vs. (1) Boston
all games on CBC and RDS

April 16   at Boston, 7p
April 18   at Boston, 8p*
April 20   at Montréal , 7p
April 22   at Montréal , 7p
April 25   at Boston, 7p
April 27   at Montréal , TBD
April 29   at Boston, TBD

2008 WESTERN CONFERENCE

(3) Vancouver vs. (6) St. Louis
all games available on CBC
games 1-2, 5-7 available on RDS

April 15     at Vancouver, 10p*
April 17     at Vancouver, 10p*
April 19     at St. Louis, 7p*
April 21     at St. Louis, 8p*
April 24     at Vancouver, 10p*
April 26     at St. Louis, 8p*
April 28     at Vancouver, TBD*

Calgary (5) vs. Chicago (4)
all games on TSN

April 16     at Chicago, 8:30p*
April 18     at Chicago, TBD
April 20     at Calgary, 9:30p*
April 22     at Calgary, TBD*
April 25     at Chicago, 10p
April 27     at Calgary, TBD
April 29     at Chicago, TBD

2009 NHL playoffs ready to go

Welcome to another round of Canadian Crossing NHL postseason coverage.

Last year was the first year in 4 tries where a Canadian team did not make the Stanley Cup finals, though Canada-wannabe Detroit did win it all. And yet, in those years where Canadian teams did make the finals, none of them won.

The pressure is on Montréal in its 100th season. While the Canadiens were the #1 seed last year, they barely made the playoffs, clinching the 8th seed. Being the #1 seed last year didn't help them much.

Amusingly, just like last year, the Canadiens play Boston, except this year, the Bruins are the #1 seed.

Ottawa limped in last year, but the Senators weren't a serious threat this year to make it. And the Toronto Maple Leafs? Well, they weren't close either. So from the East, Montréal is the only hope, and there isn't much hope there.

The news is better in the West. Both Calgary and Vancouver are in the playoffs, with the Canucks rising from barely missing the playoffs last year to division champs and the #3 seed. Calgary just missed out on division honors, but only fell to #5.

Edmonton wasn't a factor this year, as the Western Conference had a bit of turnover. In fact, the teams Calgary and Vancouver will play in the first round have rather intriguing stories.

Vancouver will host the St. Louis Blues in their first trip to the playoffs since 2004. The Blues snatched the #6 seed away from first-time playoff participants, the Columbus Blue Jackets, with a 1-0 win in its final game.

Calgary's opponent, the Chicago Blackhawks, has been around a lot longer than 2000, but the team is making its first playoff appearance since 2002. In fact, the Blackhawks have had only one appearance (2002) and only one postseason win since 1997. The Blackhawks have home ice in this round.

One intriguing point about this year's playoffs, for the first time in a long time, 5 of the Original 6 teams are in the playoffs. The only team from that group that is missing is Toronto.

Times and dates to be released soon. Hopefully, Versus will step up and show Canadian-based teams in the first round. The CBC and TSN will have FULL coverage in Canada. NBC will show some games much later in the playoffs in the United States.

2009 NHL Playoffs

2009 EASTERN CONFERENCE

(8) Montréal vs. (1) Boston

2008 WESTERN CONFERENCE

(3) Vancouver vs. (6) St. Louis

Calgary (5) vs. Chicago (4)

2009 NHL Playoffs

2009 EASTERN CONFERENCE

(8) Montréal vs. (1) Boston

2008 WESTERN CONFERENCE

(3) Vancouver vs. (6) St. Louis

Calgary (5) vs. Chicago (4)

Billy Bob Thornton questions Canadian blandness in bizarre radio interview

There are celebrity-related Canada stories that occasional hit the news, mostly in a bystander fashion. But this time, Canada was more involved in one of the more famous videos recently.

Billy Bob Thornton, known mostly for his acting, is also a musician. But Jian Ghomeshi on CBC radio, host of "Q," mentioned the acting when introducing the Boxmasters. Ghomeshi didn't ask a single question about the acting, but just mentioning the acting in the intro put Thornton in a less than benevolent mood.

Ghomeshi explained that the intro was meant to place the interest in the band in context. From the interview, he is asking music questions to the band. The other band members give answers, but Thornton's answers were nonsensical.

Describing it doesn't do it justice, the video rests here at the top.

While Canadians are known for being pretty laid-back, there was the cheap shot Thornton tossed at them.

"Canadian audiences seem to be very reserved," he said. "We tend to play places where people throw things at each other. Here, they just sort of sit there. And it doesn't matter what you say to 'em. ... It's mashed potatoes but no gravy."

Other actors who are in bands seem to be able to take all of this within context, e.g., Kevin Bacon and the Bacon Brothers. Heck, the late John Belushi and Canada's Dan Aykroyd combined the two in "Blues Brothers."

Whatever insanity Thornton thought about the host, there wasn't a need to take it out on Canadians who are willing to give the Boxmasters a chance. That is more than Thornton is giving Canadians.

UPDATE: Later, Thornton claimed the "mashed potatoes" remark was about Ghomesh, but clearly from the original comments, Thornton was referring to Canadians. The Boxmasters have canceled their Canadian dates after the first show, where the band received catcalls about "Here comes the gravy."

In this video clip, Thornton is asked by a female fan to "sign her gravy." 

Not that the other band members deserved it, but clearly Thornton got his lumps, gravy or otherwise.

Wishing for a Canada Channel

Matt and Trey came up with the Canada Channel on this week's "South Park" on Comedy Central. The episode was an homage to an April Day's prank they played years ago when, instead of airing the conclusion of a 2-parter, they aired a 30-minute Terrance and Phillip special.

For those who don't know, Terrance and Phillip are two Canadian performers that the boys of South Park enjoy very much.

In this latest April Fool's prank, Terrance and Phillip have their special interrupted by the Queef Sisters.

But what Matt and Trey did was point out that the shows aired on the Canada Channel, "the only channel in Canada."

I wish I had a Canada channel on my cable here in the States. It would feature CBC prime-time programming, The National, the home-grown Canadian shows from CTV, CFL football, and of course, Hockey Night in Canada. I would be very, very happy to have a Canada channel -- would make my cable bill worth paying.

Too bad that the idea of a Canada Channel is as likely as it being April Fool's Day every day.