Canadian Crossing

2019 MLS preview

The 3 Canadian Major League Soccer (MLS) teams are eager to forget the 2018 season.

Toronto FC starts its 2019 MLS season in Philadelphia on Saturday. Vancouver hosts Minnesota at BC Place and Montréal travels to San Jose for the season openers.

The Reds home opener will be March 17 against New England at BMO Field. The Impact don't open at home until April 13 with Columbus at Stade Saputo.

Marc Dos Santos is the new coach for Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Santos replaces interim coach Craig Dalrymple, who served starting September 25 after replacing Carl Robinson.

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This is likely the final season for Ignacio Piatti in Montréal. Piatti is in the final year of his contract. In 2018, Piatti scored 16 goals and 13 assists in 32 matches.

Piatti did say in a recent interview that if his family is doing well back in Argentina, "I will stay in Quebec." Piatti's father has been in ill health.

A better start will help Piatti and the team. The Impact started 2018 with a 2-11-0 record.

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If you hate freezing in late season Major League Soccer games, you'll enjoy the changes coming to the sport.

The break in between the regular season and playoffs will be 13 days instead of 3 days. The regular season will end on October 6. The 2019 MLS playoffs start on October 19. The 2019 MLS Cup final will be on November 10.

The playoff format will be single elimination with no more 2-leg formats. The number of teams in the playoffs expands from 12 to 14. There is a strong incentive to reach the top of the conference to get a bye. That top team will be joined by the winners of 2-7, 3-6, and 4-5. There will be no reseeding.

MLS will now have 24 teams with the addition of FC Cincinnati.

2018 MLS season wrapup: no Canadian playoff teams

2018 MLS preview

CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage

Complaining about the number of games on U.S. television feels insignificant since none of the Canadian teams are scheduled to play on U.S. television. That includes ESPN, ESPN2, Fox, Fox Sports 1, Univision, and UniMas. If a Canadian team is doing well, there is flex scheduling for the final 4 weeks of the regular season.

All games will be available via ESPN+. You are set if you already get the service for CFL, NHL, or some other reason.

Toronto FC had 4 U.S. TV dates in 2018, 4 more than Montréal and Vancouver combined.

CTV will have 8 games, all in the early part of the season. The Canadian OTA network carried 9 games in 2018 and 7 games in 2017. TSN will carry all the other Reds and Whitecaps games as well as some Impact telecasts. TVA Sports will have all the Impact games en Francaise.

Here is the CTV schedule, all games on Saturday afternoons:

March 16 Vancouver @ Houston, 3 pm
March 30 Montréal @ Sporting KC, 3 pm
April 6 Chicago @ Toronto, 3 pm
April 20 Vancouver @ Orlando, 3 pm
April 27 Portland @ Toronto, 3 pm
May 4 Toronto @ Orlando, 4 pm
May 11 Philadelphia @ Toronto, 3 pm
May 18 Toronto @ Real Salt Lake, 3 pm

MLS Canadian teams playoffs results

Year	Date	Teams	Winner	Score
2017	December 9	Seattle @ Toronto	Toronto	2-0
2017	November 29	Columbus @ Toronto	Toronto	1-0
2017	November 21	Toronto @ Columbus	Tie	0-0
2017	November 5	New York Red Bulls @ Toronto	NY Red Bulls	1-0
2017	November 2	Vancouver @ Seattle	Seattle	2-0
2017	October 30	Toronto @ New York Red Bulls	Toronto	2-1
2017	October 29	Seattle @ Vancouver	Tie	0-0
2017	October 25	San Jose @ Vancouver	Vancouver	5-0
2016	December 10	Seattle @ Toronto FC	Seattle	0-0 (5-4 PK)
2016	November 30	Montréal @ Toronto FC	Toronto FC	5-2 (OT)
2016	November 22	Toronto FC @ Montréal	Montréal	3-2
2016	November 6	Montréal @ New York Red Bulls	Montréal	2-1
2016	November 6	Toronto FC @ NYCFC	Toronto FC	5-0
2016	October 30	NYCFC @ Toronto FC	Toronto FC	2-0
2016	October 30	New York Red Bulls @ Montréal	Montréal	1-0
2016	October 27	Montréal @ D.C. United	Montréal	4-2
2016	October 26	Philadelphia @ Toronto FC	Toronto FC	3-1
2015	November 8	Portland @ Vancouver	Portland	2-0
2015	November 8	Montréal @ Columbus	Columbus	3-1 (OT)
2015	November 1	Vancouver @ Portland	Tie	0-0
2015	November 1	Columbus @ Montréal	Montréal	2-1
2015	October 29	Toronto FC @ Montréal	Montréal	3-0
2014	October 29	Vancouver @ Dallas	Dallas	2-1
2013	October 31	Montréal @ Houston	Houston	3-0
2012	November 1	Vancouver @ LA Galaxy	LA Galaxy	2-1

photos credit: Major League Soccer

Workin' Moms Season 1 finally comes to Netflix

With all the love for Schitt's Creek, Kim's Convenience, and Baroness von Sketch Show to the United States, you might have wondered "when the hell is Workin' Moms crossing into the U.S.?"

Netflix added Season 1 late last week. Season 3 is currently running on the CBC so we aren't sure why Season 2 isn't on Netflix. Each season is 13 episodes.

As we noted when we first wrote about the show, there is brief nudity in the first few minutes of the pilot. If bare breasts offend you, run the program with your head turned; the audio is crucial. The scene is actually really nice and, like the show, very real. If CBC viewers can deal with naked breasts, you shouldn't have to worry about them.

Catherine Reitman created the show, stars, and writes. Her father (Ivan) and brother (Jason) are famous in film circles. Reitman's sensibility is very sharp and the writing comes through. She is also smart enough to create the best role not for herself but for Dani Kind, who plays Anne Carlson. Anne is yin/yang to Kate Foster (Reitman's character), not as loud as Kate but a truly complex character whose brain runs on overdrive.

Frankie Coyne (Juno Rinaldi) is more laid-back and suffering from post-partum depression. Her portrayal is very realistic. Jessalyn Wanlim, who you might remember as a badass on Orphan Black, is a lot nicer as Jenny Matthews, another mother in the support group.

Canadian comedy legend Peter Keleghan plays Kate's boss, Richard. Reitman cast real-life husband Philip Sternberg as her TV husband Nathan.

Reitman based the stories on her own and others' experience with dealing with career and motherhood.

CBC thought enough of the power of Workin' Moms to move the show from its comfortable Tuesday night slot to grow a potential comedy block on Thursday nights. With CBC Gem, you might not even care what night the show is on television.

Canadian culture notebook: Kim's Convenience and more Canadian content on Netflix

Workin' Moms provides CBC with Canadian humour for adults

The big Netflix news is that the streaming service is creating a production hub in Toronto by leasing multiple stages in the city’s Cinespace and Pinewood Toronto studios. Toronto is growing its production footprint in Canada's largest city. Sounds like more construction is on the way.

CanadianCrossing.com CBC coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

Trying out Amazon Prime mostly on the film side, though there are some Canadian television options, including Still Standing and Canada: The Story of Us.

photos: Workin' Moms/CBC

Kelly Knight Craft may leave U.S. Ambassador to Canada post for promotion

By most rational standards, Kelly Knight Craft's stint as the United States Ambassador to Canada has been underwhelming. Craft has little responsibility for the U.S. position on trade deals, tariffs, immigration, Safe Third Country status, climate issues, and border crossings. Craft's efforts have been underwhelming since she seems to be doing so little on those important topics. Published reports say Craft played a role in helping to renegotiate NAFTA, but we don't know at what level.

Despite this, Craft has been nominated to take over as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. If Craft is confirmed, she would succeed Nikki Haley, though Jonathan Cohen has been serving in an interim role since January 1. Heather Nauert was the original nominee to take over for Haley but her nomination didn't get any serious traction.

Craft's move to the UN requires Senate approval. She went through that process to be approved to her current position, so that process will go a bit smoother. Her "both sides" take on climate change won't go over as well for the UN post. Unfortunately, even Dem senators, running/not running for president, won't ask Craft too many questions about Canada.

Traditionally, the U.S. ambassador to the UN is a cabinet post in the United States. While this was true for Haley, her replacement will not have cabinet status.

CTV aired American ads during Super Bowl LIII with no confirmed trade deal

Canada paying a price to go along with U.S. desire to arrest Meng Wanzhou

Trump threat to withdraw from NAFTA should lead back to original Canada-U.S. free trade agreement

NAFTA 2.0, er, USMCA is a nightmarish trade deal for Canada

Where in the world is Kelly Knight Craft?

If Craft is promoted and there is a new ambassador to Canada, that person will inherit a hornets' nest, a bees' nest, and a pack of wild dogs of problems between the United States and Canada.

Canadian ambassadors should know Canada really well

New U.S. ambassador to Canada should know Canada before taking job

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Donald Trump coverage

I could use a day job but my knowledge of Canada won't be a boost to my chances. We can hope for someone who will be more visible and clued into Canada. We aren't holding our breath.

photo credit: CBC news

Domee Shi wins for best animated short at 2019 Oscars

Congrats to 🇨🇦 Domee Shi who won best animated short for #Bao! First woman to direct a #Pixar short! 👏🏽 Shi: « To all the nerdy girls who hide behind their sketchbooks, don’t be afraid to share your stories with the world. » #oscars2019 #oscars pic.twitter.com/5izOkrDytZ

— Zulekha Nathoo (@ZulekhaNathoo) February 25, 2019

Toronto-raised Domee Shi won an Oscar for best animated short for the Pixar production Bao. The category was filled with Canadians including David Fine and Alison Snowden for Animal Behaviour as well as Weekends set in 1980s Toronto by Canadian-born director Trevor Jimenez. Fine and Snowden now have 4 Academy Award nominations, including a win for Bob’s Birthday.

"To all of the nerdy girls out there who hide behind their sketchbooks — don't be afraid to tell your stories to the world," said Shi in her acceptance speech.

Paul Massey finally won an Oscar in his 8th try. Massey won the award with Tim Cavagin and John Casali for sound mixing for Bohemian Rhapsody. As you can tell from the acceptance speech, Massey was born in England but did live in Toronto for 13 years. Roma's Craig Henighan was also nominated in the sound mixing category.

Set decorator Gordon Sim was nominated for Mary Poppins Returns, but lost out to the crew from Black Panther.

The live action short film category had 2 finalists from Montréal in Jeremy Comte for Fauve and Marianne Farley for Marguerite, but both films lost out to Skin.

Stephan James and Mike Myers were Canadian presenters. James presented with Elsie Fisher for makeup and hairstyle. Myers and his Wayne's World buddy Dana Carvey introduced Bohemian Rhapsody as a Best Picture nominee. The song features prominently in Wayne's World.

Stephan James, Ryan Gosling fall short of 2019 Oscar nominations

Canadians Oscars nomination scoreboard

Chien de Garde fails to make Oscars shortlist

Roma was a rare Best Picture nominee that was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, but did win the latter award. "I think the nominees tonight have proven we are part of the same ocean," said director Alfonso Cuarón.

Roma beat out Never Look Away (Germany); Shoplifters (Japan); Capernaum (Lebanon); and Cold War (Poland) for the honour.

This is the second film from North America to win Best Foreign Language Film. Denys Arcand's Barbarian Invasions won the award for Canada at the 2004 Oscars.

Will be curious if Canada can ever deliver a film that could make the impact Roma did last night. The film won Best Director and Best Cinematography and received 10 overall nominations. Good to see the Academy consider this in a film that is not in English.

The Canadian Media Fund debuted its Made | Nous campaign celebrating Canadian content during the red carpet special on CTV, the Academy Awards network in Canada.

Christopher Plummer narrated the ad; Plummer is the only living Canadian actor who grew up in Canada to have an Oscar. The ad notes the Canadian impact on such projects as Arrival, The Handmaid’s Tale, Orphan Black, Deadpool, and Stranger Things. The ad also features Canadian actors Karine Vanasse and Jacob Tremblay.

The ad is sharp and such a brilliant idea. We will likely write more about this in the future.

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Won't You Be My Neighbor? won Best Documentary at the Film Independent Spirit Awards Saturday afternoon in Santa Monica, CA. The documentary on Fred Rogers, which recently aired on PBS, completely leaves out the crucial Canada portion of his career. The documentary didn't even get a Oscars nomination.

Roma (Mexico) won Best International Film over Burning (South Korea); The Favourite (United Kingdom); Happy as Lazzaro (Italy); and Shoplifters (Japan).

"I'm optimistic right now that it seems we are reaching a moment in which a greater diversity is happening in cinema. And I think that diversity is going to very soon make this category irrelevant," said Roma director and writer Alfonso Cuarón. I would argue that the category should remain to give love and appreciation to cine mundial as defined as film outside the United States.

If Beale Street Could Talk won major awards for Best Feature, Best Director (Barry Jenkins), and Best Supporting Female (Regina King) but Stephan James wasn't even nominated.

Twitter capture: @ZulekhaNathoo
video credit: YouTube/Made_Nous

NHL the week in preview February 22, 2019

Editor's note: The NHL Network did a very last-minute switch to add the Ottawa Senators home game against Columbus on Friday. The Matt Duchene trade is the primary reason.

The U.S. outdoor game means the NHL Network has to sit out another Saturday night. The channel will also blow off the Rogers pregame.

CBC gets to carry the Montréal-Toronto matchup from Canada's largest city. Citytv and ESPN+ will show the CBC feed. The late game features Edmonton hosting Anaheim.

Rogers Sportsnet carries a late Saturday game with Vancouver hosting the team hanging out part-time in Brooklyn. Hometown Hockey will be in Okotoks, AB with the hometown Flames in Ottawa. Wednesday Night Hockey has Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews in Toronto.

Rogers Sportsnet One has a Wednesday game with Calgary in New Jersey.

Rogers Sportsnet 360 has a late Wednesday game with the Vancouver Canucks way up in Denver.

The NHL Network will simulcast Rogers coverage of the trade deadline coverage on Monday starting at 8 am Eastern. Despite the 3 pm Eastern deadline, the NHL Network will run its own coverage starting at 2 pm Eastern. We think TSN coverage is better than Rogers coverage but both are way better than what the NHL Network can do.

NHL Network

Friday
Columbus @ Ottawa, 7p

Tape delayed
Tuesday Buffalo @ Toronto, 1p

ESPN+

Friday
Winnipeg @ Las Vegas, 10p
Saturday
Montréal @ Toronto, 7p
Monday
Edmonton @ Nashville, 8p
Thursday
Toronto @ NY Islanders, 7p

CBC

Saturday
Montréal @ Toronto, 7p
Anaheim @ Edmonton, 10p

Citytv

Saturday
Montréal @ Toronto, 7p

Rogers Sportsnet

Saturday
NY Islanders @ Vancouver, 10p
Sunday
Calgary @ Ottawa, 7p
Wednesday
Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p

Rogers Sportsnet One

Wednesday
Calgary @ New Jersey, 7p

Rogers Sportsnet 360

Wednesday
Vancouver @ Colorado, 9:30p

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The NHL Network showed its second Hockey Night in Canada game in 2019 but the coverage had so much love for Tampa Bay. The Canadian crews do have an eye out for Canadian teams but the love Dave Randorf and Garry Galley had for the Florida-based team was gushing.

I will never live long enough to have a game involving a Canadian-based team that would get that much love for U.S. national announcers.

The winter months means sometimes Ron MacLean stays on the site of Hometown Hockey. Having MacLean and Don Cherry at CFB Esquimalt, BC, just west of downtown Victoria on Vancouver Island, looked like a scheduled move. Was fun to have a sunset behind Don and Ron for Coach's Corner.

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Rick Ball is essentially the long-term replacement for Bob Cole. Rogers had 5 HNIC games last weekend and none of them had Ball on the call. 6 of the 7 Canadian teams were in prime time, but the Flames were in Pittsburgh in the afternoon.

Dave Randorf moved east for the weekend. The Edmonton crew (with Drew Remenda) covered the game in Brooklyn and John Shorthouse handled Vancouver in San Jose.

Rogers needs to decide if Ball will be a truly national announcer next season or if local announcers will cover in situations such as this past weekend.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

Chris Cuthbert worked the Maple Leafs game Tuesday night with Pierre McGuire in St. Louis. Cuthbert will also cover Sunday night in St. Paul. The Leafs game was on Sportsnet Ontario so the TSN people were eligible.

2019 Toronto Blue Jays spring training schedule

2019 may be more about what is coming than what is here, but fans can get a glimpse of that future along with plenty of sunshine as the Toronto Blue Jays begin spring training play in the Grapefruit League from Dunedin, Florida.

All TV games are on Rogers Sportsnet except for those marked with a + that will air on Rogers Sportsnet One.

Buck Martinez will do play-by-play in spring training with analysts Pat Tabler and Joe Siddall. Dan Shulman will work regular season games.

Ben Wagner and Mike Wilner will call the radio games, either on sportsnet.ca or the Sportsnet Radio Network, which consists of Sportsnet 590 The FAN (Toronto); Sportsnet 960 The FAN (Calgary); and Sportsnet 650 (Vancouver).

February 25 @ NY Yankees+
March 3 NY Yankees (ss)
March 9 @ Philadelphia
March 16 @ NY Yankees (ss)
March 17 Minnesota
March 19 @ Boston
March 23 @ NY Yankees (ss)
March 24 @ Detroit+
March 25 Milwaukee Brewers in Montréal
March 26 Milwaukee Brewers in Montréal

Roy Halladay makes the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first attempt

Wrapping up the 2018 Toronto Blue Jays season

CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage

MLB Network will carry a few Toronto Blue Jays spring training games, mostly tape-delayed. You can check the MLB Network schedule. The channel will once again tape-delay the first Montréal game but carry the second Montréal game live.

Games marked with a + sign will be aired live.

February 25 8p Toronto vs. NY Yankees
March 4 2a NY Yankees (ss) vs. Toronto
March 17 9a Toronto vs. NY Yankees/1p Minnesota vs. Toronto+
March 20 9a Toronto vs. Boston
March 21 11p Toronto vs. Philadelphia
March 23 1p Toronto (ss) vs. NY Yankees+
March 25 9a Toronto vs. Detroit
March 26 6a Milwaukee vs. Toronto from Montréal/7p Milwaukee vs. Toronto at Montréal+

Here is the overall 2019 Toronto Blue Jays spring training schedule:

February 23 Detroit
February 24 @ Baltimore
February 25 @ NY Yankees
February 26 Boston
February 27 @ Pittsburgh
February 28 Philadelphia (ss)
March 1 @ Atlanta (ss)/Pittsburgh (ss)
March 2 Tampa Bay (ss)
March 3 NY Yankees (ss)
March 5 @ Detroit
March 6 Philadelphia
March 7 @ Tampa Bay
March 8 @ Pittsburgh (ss)/Pittsburgh (ss)
March 9 @ Philadelphia
March 10 @ Minnesota
March 12 Tampa Bay
March 13 @ Baltimore
March 14 NY Yankees
March 15 @ Philadelphia
March 16 @ NY Yankees (ss)/Baltimore (ss)
March 17 Minnesota
March 18 Detroit (ss)
March 19 @ Boston
March 20 Atlanta
March 21 @ Philadelphia
March 22 Baltimore 6:07p
March 23 @ NY Yankees (ss)/Canada Junior Team (ss)
March 24 @ Detroit
March 25 Milwaukee Brewers in Montréal 7:05p
March 26 Milwaukee Brewers in Montréal 7:05p

All starting times at 1:07p (home) and 1:05p (road) unless noted.
(ss) – split squad

photos credit: MLB

Canadian film review: Pontypool

Most of what happens in Pontypool happens off-screen. The dungeon-type radio studio in a former church separates the primary cast from the outside world in a radio War of the Worlds type drama.

Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) is the long-in-the-tooth morning disc jockey trying to figure out whether the reports they get are serious or an elaborate prank. Sydney Briar (Lisa Houle) is the level-headed radio producer. Laurel Ann Drummond (Georgina Reilly) is the assistant producer.

Bruce McDonald does a wonderful job of keeping the suspense and mystery. The radio show has to report the story but they want to report what is actually happening.

Pontypool is also a zombie film though the film is more of a thoughtful, psychological zombie film. Since certain English words trigger the zombies; in a bilingual country, the radio staff has to be clever to use a mix of French and English to communicate.

McHattie is perfectly cast as the crafty radio veteran. Houle and Reilly are also very effective.

Bruce McDonald directed Pontypool but Tony Burgess adapted the screenplay from his novel Pontypool Changes Everything.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

A thoughtful zombie film may have trouble appealing to those who like zombie films or thoughtful films. Pontypool is more of a psychological scare than typical horror films. Most of the known is unknown on the screen.

You might also watch the film twice to see if you missed something on the first screening. More than likely, you won't mind watching the film again.

video credit: Pontypool
photo credit: Pontypool

NHL the week in preview February 15, 2019

NBCSN features the Toronto Maple Leafs again this week with a Tuesday night game in St. Louis.

The NHL Network remembers to carry a Canadian team with the Montréal Canadiens in western Florida on Hockey Night in Canada. This is the network's second and final telecast of the month for Canadian teams.

CBC goes to the desert as the Toronto Maple Leafs travel to Auston Matthews' birth state. The network will have the Vancouver Canucks in San Jose in the nightcap.

Citytv has the Habs in a sunny climate as we mentioned earlier.

Rogers Sportsnet splits the Saturday feed with West and Pacific carrying Edmonton in Brooklyn. Hometown Hockey from CFB Esquimalt, BC has the Canadiens in very southern Florida. Wednesday Night Hockey showcases the Winnipeg Jets in Denver.

Rogers Sportsnet One has the all-Canadian battle of the Ottawa Senators in Winnipeg. The channel jumps in late on Wednesday as the Calgary Flames host Brooklyn's best.

NBCSN

Tuesday
Toronto @ St. Louis, 8p

NHL Network

Saturday
Montréal @ Tampa Bay, 7p

Tape delayed
Wednesday Toronto @ St. Louis, 1:30p (90-min)

ESPN+

Saturday
Calgary @ Pittsburgh, 1p
Monday
Arizona @ Calgary, 4p
Wednesday
Winnipeg @ Colorado, 8:30p
Thursday
Washington @ Toronto, 7p

CBC

Saturday
Toronto @ Arizona, 7p
Vancouver @ San Jose, 10p

City

Saturday
Montréal @ Tampa Bay, 7p

Rogers Sportsnet

Saturday
Edmonton @ NY Islanders, 7p (SNW, SNP)
Sunday
Montréal @ Florida, 7p
Wednesday
Winnipeg @ Colorado, 8:30p

Rogers Sportsnet One

Saturday
Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 7p
Wednesday
NY Islanders @ Calgary, 9:30p

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Found out Saturday morning that NHL Center Ice did have coverage of Hockey Day in Canada. They carried the events before the matinee game and covered the second part before 6 pm Eastern. Incomplete, last-minute, and expensive to access: that sounds the NHL in motion.

The first part was reduced from 2 hours to an hour.

The NHL Network carried a vague NHL Tonight that ran from 1 pm Eastern so this wasn't like the network had programming to run instead.

To be clear, the games would have been nice but our concern was the actual programming: 1 hour before the matinee and 1 hour after the matinee. Shuffling off the coverage to Center Ice at the very last minute is poor form.

The NHL Network hasn't carried a whole lot of anything Canadian in the 2019 calendar year. While this always happens in the second half of the season, not carrying Hockey Day in Canada is an extra slap to the face.

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The highlight from the Rogers pregame was the Stephen Brunt essay about Saskatchewan and hockey as read by Dick Irvin, Jr.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

NBCSN had an "interview" with Auston Matthews and Jeremy Roenick but gave no coverage to the Maple Leafs in the intermission breaks Sunday night.

John Forslund worked with the top NBCSN crew of Eddie Olczyk and Pierre McGuire for the Oilers game. Made me miss Ken Daniels and Ray Ferraro in the game in Edmonton.

Kathryn Tappen worked at ice level. We did get an interview with Leon Draisaitl. We also had analysis on the Canadian team after the 1st period, a rarity from NBCSN.

Gord Miller worked in Philadelphia Monday night. Chris Cuthbert will work one of the Hockey Day in America games on Sunday from Detroit on NBCSN.

2019 Valentine's Day: Our love for Sandra Oh

We have taken the idea of Valentine's Day over the years to celebrate Canadian women in various tributes, some more enlightened than others.

I want to take 2019 to focus on one particular Canadian woman whose story of perseverance and determination has finally won her rewards that she deserved many years ago.

Sandra Oh has done exceptionally well with her current TV show Killing Eve on BBC America and Bravo in Canada. Oh got an Emmy nomination but did win top honours from the Critics' Choice Television Awards, Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild.

Fans of this blog know that Oh distinguished herself early in her career with her performances in Double Happiness and Last Night. Oh won a Genie for her role in Double Happiness and a Gemini for The Diary of Evelyn Lau.

Oh has also been in other great Canadian films such as Wilby Wonderful, Hard Candy, The Red Violin, Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity, Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming, and Meditation Park.

Sandra Oh host and winner at the 76th Golden Globes

IFC mistakes Canadian Sandra Oh as an American

She has been featured in popular U.S. films such as The Princess Diaries, Under The Tuscan Sun, Sideways, and Guinevere.

Oh also managed to have a successful TV career for 10 years as Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy with 5 straight Emmy nominations and also starred on Arliss.

Celebrating Canadian women accomplishments on Valentine's Day 2018

Video review: Better Than Chocolate

My Canadian Valentines 2016

My Canadian Valentines 2015

Ellen Page: still a cool Canadian role model

Seeing the multiple layers of beauty of famous Canadian women

I wish they all could be … Canadian girls

Yet until Killing Eve, Sandra Oh had been lost in the background. She played the lead in those Canadian classics Double Happiness and Last Night as well as the animated film Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming but rarely had the lead. Her first 5 Emmy nominations were for a supporting role. She played the best friend in Under The Tuscan Sun, Sideways.

I wondered for years why Hollywood didn't see what I saw. Then again, I've seen these Canadian films so I knew what Oh was capable of doing.

There were a few in Hollywood who wondered about Oh in leaving Grey's Anatomy. "Wasn't this the best Oh was going to find?" some may have wondered. If you hadn't seen Window Horses or Meditation Park, you might really have wondered where Oh went.

Oh is finally getting some very deserved recognition after 8 episodes of Killing Eve. The United States is finally getting to see what Canada has seen for some time: Oh can and should be the lead in projects. She has earned this and more.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

Season 2 of Killing Eve premieres April 7 at 8 pm Eastern on BBC America.

photos credit: Golden Globes/NBC

New Canada Food Guide sidesteps food lobbyists for better nutrition perspective

The revision of the Canada Food Guide took 12 years but brought some significant changes. The new guide focusing on protein options and de-emphasizes meat and dairy. The guide encourages water as a beverage of choice. More importantly, the approach also doesn't suck up to food interests, either from growers or food companies.

Cooking at home is also encouraged.

The Trudeau Government has promised that revisions won't wait another 12 years.

The meat and dairy people aren't thrilled with the new guide. You can consume meat and dairy and lentils and tofu. You can even get protein from vegetables and plant-based foods.

The fruit juice people aren't thrilled with the new guide. Doesn't mean you can't get an occasional glass; just be more conscious about your fruit juice consumption. One of my favorite tricks is to mix 50-50 of water and juice. A great way to get flavor with your water and less juice consumption.

BalanceofFood.com Canada food coverage

For more on this topic, check out the story from our sibling blog, BalanceofFood.com.

photos credit: Health Canada; CTV/Health Canada