Transition

We are going through a transition. The archives are still here, but for updates, go to http://balanceoffood.typepad.com/canadian_crossing/.

So if you want to know how the Raptors and the Habs are doing plus other tidbits from Canadian culture, check us out.

2008 NHL Playoffs schedule

2008 NHL Playoffs
all times Eastern

2008 EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Montréal vs. (6) Philadelphia
all games on CBC and RDS
* broadcast on Versus in the United States

Tied 1-1
Game 1: Montréal 4, Philadelphia 3 (OT)
Game 2: Philadelphia 4, Montréal 2*
Game 3: Monday, April 28 7p at Philadelphia*
Game 4: Wednesday, April 30 7p at Philadelphia*
Game 5: Saturday, May 3 7p at Montréal*
Game 6: Sunday, May 4 7p at Philadelphia*
Game 7: Tuesday, May 6 7p at Montréal


(1) Montréal vs. (8) Boston
all games on CBC and RDS
* broadcast on Versus in the United States

Montréal wins series 4-3
Game 1: Montréal 4, Boston 1
Game 2: Montréal 3, Boston 2 (OT)*
Game 3: Boston 2, Montréal 1 (OT)
Game 4: Montréal 1, Boston 0
Game 5: Boston 5, Montréal 1
Game 6: Boston 5, Montréal 4*
Game 7: Montréal 5, Boston 0*

Pittsburgh (2) vs. Ottawa (7)
all games on CBC and RDS
* broadcast on Versus in the United States

Pittsburgh wins series 4-0
Game 1: Pittsburgh 4, Ottawa 0*
Game 2: Pittsburgh 5, Ottawa 3
Game 3: Pittsburgh 4, Ottawa 1
Game 4: Pittsburgh 3, Ottawa 1

2008 WESTERN CONFERENCE
San Jose (2) vs. Calgary (7)
all games on CBC
* broadcast on Versus in the United States

San Jose wins series 4-3
Game 1: Calgary 3, San Jose 2*
Game 2: San Jose 2, Calgary 0
Game 3: Calgary 4, San Jose 3*
Game 4: San Jose 3, Calgary 2
Game 5: San Jose 4, Calgary 3*
Game 6: Calgary 2, San Jose 0
Game 7: San Jose 5, Calgary 3*

2008 NBA Playoffs schedule

2008 EASTERN CONFERENCE
(3) Orlando vs. (6) Toronto
all times Eastern

Orlando leads series 3-1

Game 1: Orlando 114, Toronto 100
Game 2: Orlando 104, Toronto 103
Game 3: Toronto 108, Orlando 94
Game 4: Orlando 106, Toronto 94
Game 5: April 28: at Orlando, 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
Game 6: May 1: at Toronto, TBD (TBD)
Game 7: May 3: at Orlando, TBD (TNT)

Harper, Bush, Calderon all meeting in New Orleans

There is more going on other than sports:

The leaders of the NAFTA nations: United States, Canada, and Mexico are meeting in New Orleans this week. The three leaders have had annual meetings in recent times to discuss issues concerning all three countries.

NAFTA has been an issue both in the meetings and from the government represenatives. Officially, the word is that NAFTA is great and shouldn't change. But there were rumblings in the Democratic Party primary that NAFTA would be investigated.

The "everything is pleasant" cries aren't accurate, at least among the workers in the U.S. and Canada. And there are cries on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border to improve NAFTA based on certain trade disagreements.

These annual meetings haven't produced anything earth-shattering so far. Perhaps there are subtle talks, inklings for future things, but so far we haven't seen any proof. And you can't help but wonder if Canadian PM Stephen Harper and Mexico President Felipe Calderon are running out the clock waiting to see who takes over the U.S. Harper will likely have his own federal election to deal with, likely in 2009. Canada currently has a minority government with Harper as the prime minister. Calderon's term expires in 2012; re-election is not an option in Mexico.

Montréal, Calgary split Game 7s; And then there was one

Montréal wins its Game 7, and Calgary doesn't. I wondered out loud whether Canada would have any teams get past the first round of the NHL playoffs.

Then when Montréal won Monday night, I tried to hold out for 2 teams, but that didn't quite work out. So the Habs are Canada's last shot with Detroit as a border team. The ideal matchup: Detroit-Montréal going 7 games with the Canadiens pulling it out in overtime.

I hate to nitpick this (again), but why was Versus only giving us the 2nd round scenario if San Jose won. What a cheap shot. And don't give me that it was 2 vs. 7, since San Jose was the favored team. Versus would have been better off not giving any scenarios.

And then Versus turns around and doesn't even give us Game 1 of the Montréal-Philadelphia 2nd round matchup. There will be no U.S. television for a 2nd round game -- unbelievable. I love how there is no assigned television in the U.S. for the potential 7th game. There is no other game in that time slot, and yet no one sure whether the game would be broadcast. That will change if there is a Game 7, but wow.

By contrast, Pittsburgh and Detroit will have full coverage, including games on NBC. I figure the first games NBC will do from Montréal will be the Stanley Cup Finals if the Canadiens make it.

As badly as Versus is about ratings, NBC is even worse. The Penguins and the Red Wings are the security blanket to NBC's Linus.

While we were fortunate to get CBC coverage on some of the first-round games, notably the Calgary series, I doubt we would get CBC in the 2nd round; the only prospect for that is the Montréal series. CBC and RDS will carry all games in the Montréal-Philadelphia series.

Since NBC has the U.S. over-the-air rights, it would seem fair that the network should carry games missing from the U.S. market on extra digital channels on its NBC stations. But perhaps that is thinking before its time. If NBC were able to run its advertising and carry the CBC feed on an alternative digital channel, the network would actually make money since they would pay zero in production costs.

Montréal forced into a Game 7

For those who don't follow sports, coming back from a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-7 series is rare, but not completely outrageous. Well, Boston has forced a 7th game with the Montréal Canadiens, set for Monday night.

And yes, Game 6 was on Versus. I was hoping (pleading, begging) for CBC coverage, but it wasn't meant to be. I realize there are accusations (yes, I read the feedback) that I want CBC coverage since they would be pro-Canadian. Well, not exactly.

The folks at CBC do acknowledge both teams, and quite frankly, know the sport much better than the folks at Versus. After watching Versus' coverage of Game 6, I'd rather have watched the Boston announcers at NESN (New England Sports Network). Yes, they are rooting for Boston, but they have more of a sense of the Canadiens than the national announcers that are supposed to be neutral. The Versus announcers were way more excited about Boston's goals than Montréal's.

The "funniest" moment was when the sideline reporter was interviewing Tomas Plekanec after the second period. Plekanec had scored a goal to put Montréal up 2-1. He asked Plekanec about coming into this series about being physical with Montréal. Well, Plekanec plays for Montréal, but he ignored the mistake by the reporter.

You can argue that reporters make mistakes, and that it was an innocent mistake. Since they talk so infrequently with the Canadian teams, perhaps he really thought he was talking with a Boston player. But they wouldn't have made that mistake in talking to a American-team player, and if they did, someone would have caught it. It's not the mistake so much as the refusal to acknowledge bias against the Canadian-based teams.

The announcers were rooting for Boston to win and Montréal to lose throughout the game. But only part of that is the bias against Canadian-based teams. Versus isn't a successful network in just about anything it does -- the network sees its only chance for success if American-based teams do well.

In other words, Versus roots against Canadian-based teams not because they are from Canada, but because they perceive their ratings will go down. I want the playoffs in my home, and I'd rather have CBC and TSN, fair and impartial. The Canadian announcers are fair to both teams. In the Calgary-San Jose coverage on CBC, they are very fair to both sides. In the Calgary-San Jose coverage on Versus, the bias goes to San Jose. To be fair, the West Coast announcers have been less biased than the Boston-Montréal crew.

But if I can't get CBC/TSN, at least give me the home crew of the American-based team. I know they're biased, but they are upfront about that, and I will scream less at my television.

Tonight, it's Game 6 for the Flames-Sharks on Versus (give us CBC) and in a surprise move, Game 7 of Canadiens-Bruins will be on Versus. Either give the Versus announcers some Valium (so they will root less for Boston) or give us professional unbiased announcers.

* Note: Versus' Web site listed Flames-Sharks Game 6 as being on the channel. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. So you just never know.

Raptors in playoffs again

While the Maple Leafs didn't make it, and the Blue Jays struggling (and having released future Hall of Famer Frank Thomas), well the Raptors are in the NBA playoffs.

I'm not the biggest NBA fan, so as for strategy or how well Toronto will do, I'm not sure. Canada isn't a big deal in the NBA, and David Stern seems content to treating Canada as second-class. So having the Raptors in the playoffs is extra fun.

Don't know much about NBA TV, except I don't think I get that channel. TNT is on my cable package. Hopefully, better coverage in Round 2, if there is a Round 2 for the Raptors.

Hillary Clinton drinks a Canadian whiskey

To "prove" that a presidential candidate can be "one of the people," sometimes they indulge in activities they otherwise might not do.

Pancake dinners, eating whatever is placed in front of them, even bowling. Well, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) was drinking a beer in a bar in Crown Point, Indiana when the bartender asked the presidential candidate if she wanted a shot.

Clinton asked that it not be something sweet. The bartender suggested a shot of Crown Royal whiskey. She took a couple of sips before then downing the rest of the shot.

What Sen. Clinton may not have realized is that Crown Royal is a Canadian whiskey. Crown Royal is apparently the number one selling Canadian whiskey in the U.S.

The faux pas is that Clinton probably should have picked an American whiskey. But it is magnified since Clinton is now not supporting NAFTA after she had supported it. Imports from Canada are a huge part of NAFTA.

NFL comes to Toronto

In case you blinked, the NFL schedule came out today. And we can confirm what we already knew: the NFL is coming to Canada.

The Buffalo Bills, very close in proximity to Toronto, will play one regular-season game and one pre-season game at Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome) in downtown Toronto.

The Bills take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a pre-season game on August 14 and the Miami Dolphins travel to Toronto for a game that counts on December 7.

The December contest was scheduled late in the year so there wouldn't be a conflict with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The Blue Jays of the American League in baseball also shares the stadium.

Unlike the cold weather normally associated with football in Buffalo in December, the two teams will likely be playing under the dome in Toronto. Kickoff for the December 7 battle will be 4:05 p.m. EST.

The Dolphins are a intriguing choice since Miami running back Ricky Williams recently played for the Argonauts in the CFL.

The eight-game set, marketed as the Bills Toronto Series, includes a regular-season game each year from 2008 to 2012 and pre-season contests in 2008, 2010 and 2012.

Seating capacity for the game at Rogers Centre will be around 54,000; the game is expected to easily be a sellout.

NHL playoffs: So far, so...

Montréal up 2-0, Ottawa down 2-0. Can't say I'm surprised. Calgary won 1 at San Jose. Actually, not surprised.

The Canadiens looked good even when they let Boston back in. Just remember, Boston has not led Montreal during a game, regular season or playoffs, this year. HAS NEVER LED. Total dominance.

Was hoping that the Canadiens -- historically well-known -- would see more U.S. TV time. But no, welcome to a bad TV contract in the United States. Even Sidney Crosby, Gary Bettman's pet, has only 2 games scheduled in the early rounds.

Part of the problem is that Detroit is in the Eastern time zone and yet, the Western Conference. Versus and NBC love the Red Wings. The other part is the NHL's newest pet, Alex Ovechkin, is on 5 times during the first round.

Montréal had 1 time scheduled, and that was Saturday night's Game 2. We could have hoped that Versus would be nice and give us the CBC Hockey Night in Canada feed for that one. But no, we had the Versus crew that actually made it to Montréal. To show you why hockey fans get upset at the U.S. TV coverage, during Boston's first power play, the graphics on the screen, including success rates, were for Montréal's power play -- the entire 2 minutes.

To be fair, Versus did some expanded coverage, including talking to Canadiens' legend Jean Béliveau. And they did more games with Canadian-based teams this year. But they did NO games involving the defending Eastern Conference champion Ottawa Senators.

But Montréal is the number one seed. And when they advance, the audience is going to wonder, "Who are these Canadiens?" Too bad, we won't see much of them in the first round, unless you live near the border. All Canadiens games air on CBC. The irony is that if the series goes 6 or 7 games (it won't), you might see them on Versus if there aren't many other games left. But there is a anti-Canadian bias at Versus, just like in Gary Bettman's office.

Calgary is getting the CBC touch. Hopefully, we will see more of them as that series continues. Calgary, 7 seed in the West, will see more U.S. air time than the Canadiens. And hopefully, most of not all will be from the CBC. They do it so much better.

2008 NHL playoffs set

Welcome to another round of Canadian Corner NHL postseason coverage. We have had 3 straight Stanley Cup finals with a Canadian team. Will this be a 4th?

Well, not likely. But there is a tiny bit of hope. After all, Edmonton got to the finals as the 8th seed. Last year, we had 3 teams. This year, we have 3 teams.

Montreal went from barely missing the playoffs last year to the #1 seed. The Canadiens clinched the top spot with a 3-1 win over Toronto and Pittsburgh's loss on Sunday. Montreal will take on Boston in an Original 6 matchup in the first round.

Ottawa, a dominant team and last year's Eastern Conference rep in the Stanley Cup finals, had a rough year, but finished 7th. The Senators have significant injuries, especially to Daniel Alfredsson on a cheap shot by Toronto's Mark Bell this week. Ottawa has the unenviable task of matching up with Pittsburgh and the NHL glamour boy, Sidney Crosby.

Calgary is the only Western Conference team. The Flames struggled finishing 7th, but barely hung on to make the playoffs. Their "reward": the San Jose Sharks, even at #2, perhaps the most dominant team in the West.

Toronto (once again), Edmonton (much later than expected), and Vancouver (a shocker) were all eliminated late. The Oilers and the Canucks were only eliminated in the last few days. Other than Montreal, no Canadian-based team had a good finish to the season.

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 later in the playoffs in the United States.

Obama, NAFTA, and Canada

We usually don't get dragged into politics, especially U.S. politics, but it's fair to say this is relevant to our audience.

As you may know, Democratic presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both said they would re-open NAFTA.

There were allegations leaked by the Canadian government that Obama had said one thing to the voters and another behind closed doors. Clearly, we know that isn't true. Everyone involved has denied the wording.

There were also allegations that the Harper government tried to meddle in the U.S. Democratic Party race, as featured in this video. The first gentleman who is speaking is Jack Layton, an MP and head of the New Democratic Party (no relation to the U.S. Democrats). The NDP could be described as a left-leaning party. The second gentleman in the video is Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is from the Conservative Party.

LAYTON: The prime minister’s office has been interfering in the Democratic primaries with false accusations trying to silence Barack Obama who simply wants to amend the NAFTA. It is completely unacceptable for that kind of interference to be stalking place. Will the prime minster fire the source of the interference, fire his chief of staff?

HARPER: The Canadian embassy in Washington has issued a statement indicating its regret at the fact that information has come out that would imply Sen. Obama has been saying different things in public than in private. Mr. Speaker, the government of Canada does not not condone this and certainly regrets any implication… (the video ends)

We at Canadian Corner are eager to see if and how NAFTA is renegotiated in the new administration, whether it be Obama, Hillary Clinton, or John McCain. McCain has not indicated any interest in renegotiating NAFTA, and hasn't spoken on the matter.

Threatening to move to Canada

This link is from a blog devoted to stuff that white people like.

A portion:

Though they will never actually move to Canada, the act of declaring that they are willing to undertake the journey is very symbolic in white culture. It shows that their dedication to their lifestyle and beliefs are so strong, that they would consider packing up their entire lives and moving to a country that is only slightly similar to the one they live in now.

I have threatened to move to Canada -- this is true (and I am white). But I know more about Canada than most people who want to move there.

One minor word of caution: some of the comments are a little oft-kilter. Just as the site wouldn't acknowledge that it reflects the view of the blog, it doesn't reflect the view of this blog as well.

NAFTA re-negotiation works both ways, er, three ways

Weighing on the potential NAFTA re-negotiation, I send you to a piece I wrote for BuzzFlash.com (yes, I have a relationship with the Web site).

Here it is for your knowledge and enjoyment.

The essentials is that Canada has suffered from NAFTA as has Mexico. The United States tends to see things only from its perspective, and needs to understand that re-opening NAFTA requires listening to Canada and Mexico. A new NAFTA could be made stronger for all three countries, if there is a sincere desire to make it work throughout the continent.

NHL commissioner addresses perceived Canada bias

Gary Bettman is the commissioner of the National Hockey League. Yet a lot of hockey fans have a strong dislike for the man.

They blame him for the strike that cost the league an entire season. They blame him for the fact that this is the 3rd year in a row where every team doesn't play each other. And they blame him for having an anti-Canadian bias, a bad idea given that hockey is Canada's sport.

I should point out that I agree that Bettman is biased and a horrible commissioner. So when Gary Bettman did a chat for the Washington Post, I submitted a question. Although my question was not selected, a similar question did come up.

New York: Many hockey fans in historic markets contend you are simply wrong with your formula for growing the league. They believe you are committed to developing hockey in the "Red States," to use an euphemism, to the point you will ignore much larger opportunities elsewhere, especially in Ontario. My question is, do you have anyone in your close circle of advisers who plays "Devil's Advocate" and challenges your philosophy here?

Gary Bettman: Yes -- and that's NOT my philosophy. Please don't believe everything you read about what I'm thinking! Here is what I'm thinking: If we have to relocate a franchise, or if we decide, at some point, to expand, then ALL potential locations will be considered, and we will go to the one that is the best. That someone who unsuccessfully tried to buy a club, apparently with the intent to move it in violation of its lease, suggested that we are anti-Canadian in any way or anti-Ontario in any way does not make it a fact. In fact, those assertions were fabrications.

The reference Bettman refers to is potentially moving the Nashville Predators to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Reasonable minds can disagree, but the impression has been that the gentleman, who wanted to move a team from a market that didn't come out and appreciate a team into a market that salivates over having a team, was denied over where he wanted to move the team. If the Nashville Predators wanted to move to an American city, the NHL would be more likely to want to cooperate.

Quebec City and Winnipeg both lost franchises in the 1990s: the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver and the Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix.

When Bettman says "we will go to the one that is the best," that has usually meant the U.S. South.

From Wikipedia, "During his tenure, franchises have been established in Raleigh, Denver, and Phoenix through relocation from Hartford, Quebec City, and Winnipeg, respectively; in Nashville, Atlanta, St. Paul (Minnesota), and Columbus teams sprouted up by means of expansion. While Denver and St. Paul have been successes, Raleigh, Phoenix, Nashville, and Atlanta have not enjoyed such fan support (though, as of late, the Hurricanes have drawn sizable crowds). Nashville was unable to draw an average of 14,000 in paid attendance during the 2006-2007 season, despite being one of the top teams in the league."

The NHL has franchises in Miami, Tampa, Raleigh, NC, Nashville, Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, and two in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. And yet no franchises in Hamilton, Quebec City, and Winnipeg along with U.S. cities such as Milwaukee and Hartford.

To again, quote Wikipedia: "Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie attempted to purchase the team well above its market value in 2007, and many speculated that he would move the team to Hamilton, Ontario. While many within the NHL thought of this as a potential economic shot in the arm for the NHL, ESPN.com has reported that Bettman directly interfered in the sale of the team to Balsillie, paving the way for talks to be opened up with Nashville-area groups to buy the team.^[4] The reaction to this incident in Canadian media was that Bettman cared little about the game in Canada and consequently spawned an article in Canadian magazine MacLean's entitled 'Why The NHL Hates Canada'."

Canada and the NHL will be better off when Gary Bettman retires as NHL commissioner.

Split awards for Ellen Page

Ellen Page did not win the Oscar for Best Actress for "Juno," but she did win Best Actress at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday.

If you had said that all the Oscar acting awards were going to people born outside the U.S., you would have thought the Halifax-born Page had a good shot. Then again, four out of the five entries for Best Actress were foreign-born (Laura Linney was the only U.S. born nominee).

Still, it was a good weekend for Page. Hopefully, we will see her other work get more notice, such as "The Tracey Fragments," which played in the Toronto International Film Festival last September along with Juno. Page will be around for a long, long time.

Sarah Polley didn't win Best Adapted Screenplay either, losing to the Coen brothers for "No Country for Old Men." But she has received a great deal of recognition for her first writing and directing of a movie: here is a list of awards and nominations she has received.

There will still be more of Polley, on and off screen, for a long, long time to come.

Codeine from Canada

When I try and explain to my friends in the United States how you can get codeine over-the-counter in Canada, they are very skeptical. After all, it's illegal without a prescription in the United States.

Well, it's not pure codeine. It's acetaminophen with up to 8 mg codeine/tablet in Canada. Still, it packs a little punch.

When you buy the pain medication, you have to ask the pharmacist. You won't find it on the regular shelves. Often, you will have to pay for it at the pharmacy.

Chris Berman of ESPN fame explains it pretty well in this clip. His characterization of the exchange between an American and the pharmacist is spot-on.

He does refer to smuggling, which BTW is not legal. There are ways to legally bring in small amounts of the drug -- the last time I looked it up, you were allowed to bring in for your own personal purpose up to 50 tablets per person per 30 days. I don't know if that is still the case, so you are on your own.

Canadian TV coming to the U.S.

The writers strike in the United States might be an advantage for Canadian TV programs to get exposure in the U.S.

This article highlights some of the shows coming to the U.S.

NBC is finalizing a deal to pick up 13 episodes of CTV's upcoming drama series "The Listener."

The distributors of another Canadian drama, CBC's "The Border," are in discussions with several U.S. networks, including CBS and ABC.

And ABC Family is in talks to pick up 13 episodes of CBC's comedy series "Sophie." That follows CBS' deal this week to acquire 13 episodes of CTV's new drama series "Flashpoint."

I can't vouch for these shows, but anything that gets more Canadian content on U.S. networks is heartily approved.

Having Canadian content on U.S. networks is not a completely foreign concept. "SCTV" is perhaps the most famous on those programs, airing on NBC. But CBS' late-night lineup in the 1980s featured shows such as "Night Heat." And another CBS show, "Due South" has Canadian origins.

And having Canadian programming in a strike is also not uncommon. NBC aired CFL games during the NFL strike of 1982.

Canadians to shine at Oscars

I haven't seen the whole list, but there are some notable Canadian nominees.

Ellen Page, as expected, has been nominated for Best Actress for her work in "Juno." Page will be up against Julie Christie for her work in the Canadian film "Away from Her."

Sarah Polley was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Away from Her." It would be too much to ask that Polley would also be nominated for Best Director in her directorial debut, and being 28.

Jason Reitman, also a Canadian, was nominated for Best Director for "Juno."

"Eastern Promises," from Canadian director David Cronenberg, got a nomination for Viggo Mortensen for Best Actor.

The Oscars will be February 24.

Golden Globes results split for Canadians

In the subdued affair that was this year's Golden Globes, there were two races in particular to follow from a Canadian angle.

The good news is that Julie Christie won a Golden Globe for Best Performance in a drama for her role in "Away From Her." Well, Christie isn't Canadian, but the movie is, directed by Canadian Sarah Polley in his directorial debut. (BTW, she's 28.)

The win by Christie also will give more attention to the movie.

The flip side is that Ellen Page did not win Best Performance in a comedy or musical for her role in "Juno." Page lost out to Marion Cotillard in " La Vie En Rose." The good news within that is Cotillard wouldn't be up against Page in a possible Oscar battle.

Page is a 20-year-old actress from Halifax, who has been the hot thing lately. When I was in Toronto for the Toronto International Film Festival, Page had three movies playing there, including Juno.

Having seen both movies, Christie deserved to win and so did Page. But Ellen Page could get "revenge" with an Oscar, if the Academy is friendly to a comedy.

Playing Canada's game -- outdoors

You may have flipped around the dial this afternoon and seen a hockey game played outdoors. Yes, Pittsburgh and Buffalo battled at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. The Penguins edged the hometown Sabres 2-1 in a OT shootout.

The Canadian angle? They billed this game as the first NHL outdoor game ever -- in the United States. Montreal took on Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton (home of the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos). Also, the CBC carried the game 4 years ago and the one on New Year's Day 2008.

On November 22, 2003, Montreal skated past the Oilers 4-3.

Watching 70,000 some fans watching hockey was very exciting, but it wasn't much of a game -- the weather played a negative factor. Pittsburgh's 2 second-period shots were barely shots if at all. Still, showing off the great game of hockey in the United States has been a problem for marketing-challenged officials of the NHL. So even if it wasn't much hockey-wise, for a day, more people were talking about hockey.

The secret of being Canadian

The beauty of trolling the Net is stumbling upon long-lost videos. This classic clip comes from "NewsRadio" where the employees discover that Dave (Dave Foley) is Canadian.

Well, of course, Foley is Canadian, especially being in "Kids in the Hall." Still, it's fun to see the "outrage" of his co-workers discovering he's ... Canadian.

Enjoy the clip.

Saskatchewan is your Grey Cup champ

Congratulations to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the CFL champion for 2007. Saskatchewan downed Winnipeg in the "Battle of the Prairie" 23-19.

For more details, click here.

More on my impressions later.

Prairie Grey Cup

For the first time ever, the prairie teams will play for the Grey Cup.

There has been a criticism of late that says the big-market teams (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver) have a huge advantage in getting free agents, and therefore having success.

And if you add Edmonton to the mix, the winners have come from these 4 cities lately.

Here's a basic guide to the last time a team won the Grey Cup

B.C. (Vancouver) -- 2006
Edmonton -- 2005
Montreal -- 2002
Toronto -- 2004
Calgary -- 2001
Hamilton -- 1999
Winnipeg -- 1990
Saskatchewan -- 1989

As you can see, Winnipeg and Saskatchewan are at the bottom of the list. But after next Sunday, one of them will be at the top.

The 95th Grey Cup will be Sunday in Toronto at Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome). It will be the last CFL game to be carried on CBC, and except for possible TSN simulcasts on CTV, the last CFL game to be broadcast over-the-air.

Conservatives flip on Canadians on Death Row

The Stephen Harper Conservative government has flipped on protecting Canadians who are on Death Row in the United States.

Canada does not have the death penalty, and has for the last few decades, regardless of the party in power, argued on behalf of Canadian citizens caught in the U.S. justice system.

Just so we are clear, Canada (and other countries) hasn't argued innocence or guilt, not has the country ever argued that a person should be freed. The objection is purely for the sentence (and culmination) of putting someone to death.

Here at Canadian Corner, we realize that those in the U.S. audience who thinks the death penalty is okay are probably horrified that Canada would step in to a U.S. situation. However, Canada does have a right and obligation to protest harsh punishments for its citizens around the world. Doesn't mean it will work, but refusing to do anything seems immoral.

In a possibly parallel twist, Canada has a law that allows it to prosecute sex crimes of its citizens, even if those crimes don't happen in Canada. If that law is okay, then the U.S. could wonder why Canada can reach out to crimes not on its soil, yet the U.S. can't sentence crimes on its soil.

Conservatives in Canada, though in a minority government, clearly are more harsh on many issues than the Brian Mulroney years when the Progressive Conservative Party was in charge from 1984-1993. It would never have occurred to Mulroney to not fight for Canadians to be spared the death penalty.

Banned from Canada for protesting U.S. war effort

This penalty against Ann Wright and Medea Benjamin is extremely harsh and has two key components: 1) it feels like the U.S. is strongly interfering in Canada, and 2) this never would have happened before 11/9/01 (September 11 for the U.S. audience).

Wright and Benjamin had been convicted in the United States of peaceful, non-violent protests against the war on Iraq, and Canada has banned them for that reasons.

This essay, written by Wright, explains this scenario in more detail.

Canada does have the right to ban people from their country, especially on criminal charges. Those with DUI convictions have a very tough time entering the country, understandably. But people arrested under questionable circumstances, especially these days, in anti-Iraq war protests, should get more of the benefit of the doubt.

Canadian tourists coming to America

This are more anecdotal moments to show that Canadians are even more eager to come to America, even if it's just to shop. Strong Canadian dollar and the exceedingly weakening U.S. dollar led to higher spending power for Canadians in the U.S.

Not that the U.S. is treating foreign visitors well (see various customs and other issues lately), but Canadians who love the U.S. are paying us a visit. To our Canadian friends, I saw Bienvenue and Welcome.

Keep your passport on your person

Well, that can't always be possible, but these Canadians wish they had their passports on them in this instance.

Their car was seized for a possible connection, though based on the story, the connection is questionable. But Canadians should know police will seize cars and anything on the slightest chance it's involved.

One good trick I tried recently was keeping a copy of the passport in an e-mail account. If my passport is lost, stolen, or confiscated, I can always print out a copy and hope that works. Not the best solution, but better than being stranded like these Canadians.

Canadian flavor in the World Series

No, the Toronto Blue Jays aren't back in the World Series (was it really 1992 and 1993 when they won it all?). But the 2007 World Series does have more Canadian flavor than normal.

Jeff Francis, starting pitcher for the Colorado Rockies, became the second Canadian ever to start a World Series game.

Francis, a Vancouver native, was pitching after 12 days off and gave up 10 hits and 6 runs in 4 innings.

The first Canadian native to start a World Series was Reggie Cleveland (Swift Current, Sask.) started the fifth game of the 1975 World Series, giving up five runs on seven hits in five innings and taking the loss for Boston against Cincinnati.

Last year's series featured Detroit, the closest MLB city to Canada. In fact, Comerica Park is less than a mile from the Detroit River.

Buffalo Bills in Toronto?

The NFL wants to play around the world, such as London on Sunday when the NY Giants battle Miami in London. And Canada should get a piece of that action. It might come sooner than expected.

This story goes into more detail on a possible connection between the Buffalo Bills and nearby Toronto. Bills fans already know that Canadians make up quite a bit of the Buffalo fan base.

The plan calls for the Bills to play one pre-season game and one regular-season game a year at the Rogers Centre, the home of the MLB Blue Jays and the CFL Argos.

Toronto is probably the most NFL-centric of the Canadian cities. I walked away with that impression in my trip to Toronto in September.

Toronto or Vancouver will likely get a regular-season NFL game anyway as part of the NFL world expansion. But Toronto's chance of getting a NFL team for real is fed by Buffalo's uncertainty once owner Ralph Wilson dies. And Toronto is realistically the best shot for a Canadian city to get a NFL team.

Hopefully, the NFL and CFL can co-exist in Toronto; the birth of NFL in Canada shouldn't mean the demise of the CFL in Canada's largest city.

Impressions of Canada from an Oscar winner

This Oscar winner is Denys Arcand, who won the Oscar for best foreign-language film for "The Barbarian Invasions" (2003). Another film Americans might be familiar have from Arcand is Stardom (2000) with Jessica Paré.

His next movie is debuting now in film festivals, "The Age of Ignorance."

The Q&A sessions are a fun part of film festivals for fans to get a better sense of the director and what he/she was trying to do with the film. But this Q&A session slipped into a bit of the U.S. vs. Canada. One person asked why he shot his films in Montreal. Well, he lives in Montreal and he likes shooting his films there.

Then someone asked Arcand what he liked about Canada. Arcand described Canada as a peaceful country, a country that has never really had a war. "No one attacked us like Pearl Harbor." Not even a civil war.

Arcand also noted that Canada is an equalitarian society with very few rich and a huge middle class. He said there isn't much difference in class structure.

When people ask me what I love about Canada, I find it difficult to put into words, which is sad since I am a writer. But I think it's because I get emotionally attached to my feelings. I thank Denys Arcand for putting so eloquently part of how I feel about Canada.

Yes, Fred knows who Stephen Harper is

In case you missed last night's Republican political debate, former Senator Fred Thompson was asked, in what some would call a "gotcha" moment, who the prime minister of Canada was.

Thompson's answer of "Harper. Prime Minister Harper" sufficed.

But was it a trick question? We realize that those running for U.S. president have a lot of pressure, and perhaps, the leader of Luxembourg might not be at the tip of the tongue.

But in running for the job of leading the United States, one should know the names of the prime minister of Canada and president of Mexico (even if MSNBC didn't). And they should know that Canada has a prime minister (Obama said president and quickly corrected himself).

Update on the passport situation

For those few U.S. readers remaining who don't have a U.S. passport, here is an update.

"An exception granted in June allowed passport applicants to fly back into the U.S. with a government-issued photo ID plus proof that they had applied for a passport. But that waiver expired on Sept. 30. So, air travelers will now need a passport to enter the U.S. from those destinations."

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

The second Monday in October is when the Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving. Similar to the football/shopping holiday that the U.S. Thanksgiving has become, the Canadian Thanksgiving version has a football doubleheader:

Hamilton at Montreal 1 p.m. ET
Saskatchewan at Calgary 4 p.m. ET

If you live near the Canadian border, both games are available on CBC.

The shopping part has been heightened due to bargains on the U.S. side. The strength of the Canadian dollar (now even above the U.S. dollar) has made the U.S. an ideal shopping place for Canadians.

For those in believe in more than just football and shopping, have a Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving.

Raptors in Rome

The NBA tries to expand beyond the U.S. (and Toronto, but no longer Vancouver). So it's appropriate to send the Toronto Raptors to Rome.

It's still the pre-season so these games don't count.

Canadian NHL teams on Versus

Not counting the Kings-Ducks opener in London (why is the NHL worried about London when it struggles in North America?), the NHL starts on Wednesday. Unless you get NHL Center Ice or live close to Canada where you can get the CBC, you don't have too many shots to see Canadian teams in action.

After all, each of the last 3 years, a Canadian team has made it to the Stanley Cup finals. Could it be Calgary this year? Perhaps. Toronto? Not likely.

So here are the Canadian-based teams on Versus:

Hockey on Versus
All times Eastern
Tue. Oct. 9 Carolina at Toronto 7p
Mon. Oct. 15 Toronto at Buffalo 7p
Mon. Oct. 22 Boston at Montreal 7:30p
Tue. Nov. 20 Boston at Toronto 7p
Tue. Nov. 27 Calgary at Detroit 7p
Tue. Dec. 4 Detroit at Montreal 7:30p
Tue. Dec. 18 Ottawa at Boston 7p
Tue. Jan. 15 Montreal at N.Y. Islanders 7p
Tue. Jan. 22 Boston at Montreal 7:30p
Tue. Jan. 29 San Jose at Edmonton 9:30p
Tue. March 4 Vancouver at Colorado 9:30p
Tue. March 11 New Jersey at Montreal 7:30p
Tue. April 1 Colorado at Vancouver 10p

A (financial) difference between U.S. and Canada

For those who still think the U.S. and Canada are similar, think about the financial situation.

Canada has reported a double-digit budget surplus for a second straight year. The surplus came in at C$13.8 billion. The previous year's surplus was C$13.2 billion.

The U.S. economy is in much worse shape than Canada's. BTW, reporting on the strength or weakness of the economy is not a political issue. We have received a few shots that claims that the bashing of the U.S. economy is politically motivated. Facts are facts.

There have been times where Canada's econony has suffered while the U.S. economy was better. But Canada has made me more of a priority to pay off the debt. This started under former PM Jean Chretien (Liberal) but has continued under PM Stephen Harper (Conservative). The article notes that Harper's government has paid down C$14.2 billion in debt in the last fiscal year, reduce the cost of servicing the debt by nearly C$750 million.

About a decade ago, the philosophy was that if the U.S. economy caught a cold, Canada got the flu. Times have changed, and theories have changed. Having a loonie nearly equal to the U.S. dollar changes a lot.

Do you want a job in Canada?

Maybe after reading this blog, you might want to come live in Canada. Or perhaps you don't have much hope for the 2008 U.S. presidential race.

Well, the Daily Show ran a segment about how Mexicans are recruited to come to Canada to take jobs.

As an example, correspondent Dan Bakkedahl put Raffi Torres in the spotlight. Torres, a forward for the NHL Edmonton Oilers, is of Mexican and Peruvian descent. However, Bakkedahl didn't point out that Torres was born in Toronto. Torres is one of three people on this Wikipedia list under the category "Canadians of Mexican descent."

When Dan Bakkedahl asked immigration lawyer David Rosenblatt about why they didn't take Americans, Rosenblatt replied: "We do get contacted by a lot of Americans and we are interested in bringing up Americans. If there are any Americans that do want to come to Canada, we have jobs and we're happy to take Americans' applications."

Bakkedahl talked over part of Rosenblatt's answer as part of the comedy, saying there aren't really jobs. But the message was clear: Americans are welcome.

I confess to being one of those who wanted to jump in 2000 and 2004. But I'm still here. yet, I'm thinking about it. The money (it does cost to switch countries) is an issue. It's a lot easier if you have an offer from an employer to work in Canada.

Loonie equals U.S. dollar

It was 1976, the last time the Canadian dollar and U.S. dollar were equals. The crying you hear is U.S. travelers not getting a discount when they travel to Canada. The cheering is Canadian travelers getting much more bang for their travel buck when visiting the States.

As you may know from my travels to Toronto earlier this month, I did not enjoy any sort of discount. Still, I travel there because I love Canada. I do wish that the discount was at the level of 70¢ to the dollar or even 65¢.

The U.S. dollar has done miserably in the last couple of years. If you have traveled to Europe, you know what I mean. But the Canadian dollar is also stronger than normal; its economy is doing much better than that of the United States.

The hope in traveling to Canada is that, even without the discount, Canadians will be appreciative of U.S. citizens traveling to their country. Canadians have always been nice to me, in part, because I show I know their country.

Maclean's: How Bush became the new Saddam

The difference between U.S. media and Canadian media:

The current cover story of Maclean's features a look at how George W. Bush has become a Saddam-like figure in Iraq. The cover picture is Bush dressed up like Saddam right down to the mustache.

Read the piece before you decide on the story's validity. The analysis is strong and well thought out, whether you agree or not.

But the question I've been asking is whether the U.S. mainstream media would ever run a story like this. Despite the "land of the free" concept, the conclusion is that no U.S. MSM outlet would even dream of doing something like this.

Maclean's is as mainstream a news magazine as there is in Canada. But Canadian media isn't as afraid to run stories as U.S. media is. Fortunately, the alternative media isn't afraid.

* A special shout-out to this site, which first mentioned the Maclean's piece to Canadian Corner.

Uncensored clip of Sally Field from Canada

As you may have heard, FOX censored the conclusion of Sally Field's acceptance speech during the Emmys Sunday night. There was a potentially disputable word that she used, but FOX chose to censor the entire statement rather than selectively bleep a word.

We aren't going to play through the political ramifications of whether a newsworthy show should have censorship, especially from a network that seems to support the war. All we are doing is presenting, in its entirety, the UNCENSORED clip from the show.

You are asking, "If it was censored, then how did I get an uncensored clip?" Thanks to CTV and Canada, you can see it right here. Of course, you should be warned there is a "naughty" word.

Canada is less concerned with swear words than the U.S. CTV is an over-the-air network, so it would be the equivalent of ABC, CBS, etc. And if the censorship had to do with its political nature, well, Canada isn't in Iraq.

Back from Toronto

My first trip to Toronto since 1988. Sad that it has been that long. I truly had forgotten what a nice place it is.

-- Yonge Street, the longest street in the world, has been cleaned up since I was last there. Not too much, let's say, adult entertainment, at least compared to my last trip.

-- Celebrities were there for the Toronto International Film Festival. You might have read that the festival is pretty significant. You can't truly feel that unless you are there. I got up Saturday at 6:30 a.m. to wait in line for movie tickets at 7 a.m. I was 24th in line, but still got my tickets. Saw 2 shows that day, the first one at 9 a.m.

I'm not giving the title of the first film I saw since, ironically, it might not get through U.S. spam filters. In Toronto, all but one of the newspapers ran the title as is. It is a Canadian film and, while it's not for 8-year-olds, was not as extreme as the title would indicate.

-- They say Toronto is a city of different ethnic neighborhoods. This is an understatement. The cultures, races, creeds truly get along well here. More than in New York or Chicago.

-- Toronto Islands were a lot of fun. Hanlan's Point even has Ontario's only official clothing optional beach. And yes, I did participate. I have the sunburn to prove it.

-- People there were very friendly. I never got lost, so I didn't have to ask for directions. But I met numerous people. The only strange people I met were "Ugly Americans" who were waiting for Brad and Angelina.

Off to Toronto

If you don't hear from us for a few days, there's a very good reason. Off to Toronto.

Hoping for a bit of sun to try out the beaches, a few films at the Toronto International Film Festival. But mostly to walk through neighborhoods and explore a few other things (Hockey Hall of Fame).

More when we are back.

Corner Gas schedule announced

"Corner Gas" will make its debut on U.S. television later this month. We had mentioned it earlier in the blog, so go here for that story.

The program will air on the Superstation WGN feed only (not available in Chicago and nearby areas that carry the local feed. If you get CW programming, you have the local feed.)

The show, set in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, depicts small-town life centering on a gas station and coffee shop. The broadcasts begin September 17 on 8-9 p.m. Wednesdays, midnight Mondays through Thursdays; also, Friday nights at 2:30 a.m., Sunday nights at 11:30 p.m. and midnight. All times are Eastern.

No CFL updates

I wish I had more to say about the CFL this season. Unfortunately, I have lost the ablity to access CFL games on my cable.

The folks at Comcast Sports Chicago have taken the games off the air in the middle of the season. Their excuse is that they have so much more programming. Yes, it is carrying more college football this year. But I even saw a rebroadcast of a soccer game. And this doesn't even count the infomercials it carries.

I have argued to not much avail that taking the games off in the middle of the season is completely unfair, not to mention that there are quite a few fans who love watching the sport. They don't seem impressed.

So hopefully, in your part of the country, you are having more luck getting the games than I am. That being said, I do plan to take in the Argonauts-Tiger Cats battle Saturday in Toronto.

I will check in from Canada's largest city throughout my trip.

Can't MSNBC figure out who Stephen Harper is?

We figure the MSM has issues with Canada with the lack of coverage it gives the country. But mixing up Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon seems difficult even for the MSM. Oops!

This link shows us that might not be true. Admittedly, Harper looks a little orange. But Calderon looks to be more of Mexican descent than Harper.

We don't expect ordinary citizens to know this, but we do expect basic knowledge in a newsroom.

If you're coming to the U.S., don't admit drug use

Though Stephen Colbert had some fun on his August 20 program "Colbert Report," the matter of Andrew Feldmar is not funny.

Feldmar, a Vancouver-based psychotherapist, is barred from the United States for writing on the Internet that 40 some years ago, he took LSD.

Yes, Canada does have rules, such as banning those with DUI convictions from crossing the border. As we mentioned before, George W. Bush had to get a waiver to enter Canada, and has to get a waiver each time he enters Canada due to his DUI conviction.

But in those cases, a conviction is required. Feldmar has never been tried on a drug case.

Our advice is never to lie to customs. We believe in a honest process. However, you will have to decide on your own how you want to answer certain irrelevant questions that may get you denied from entering the United States.

Obama says president, not prime minister for Canada

Sorry, Barack, we understand it was a slip of the tongue. But you did say "president of Canada."

While we know you now know it's a parliamentary system, be careful out there.

If you do win, be sure and meet with the PRIME MINISTER of Canada more often than the current White House occupant.

Michael Ignatieff says about Iraq "My bad"

Michael Ignatieff is an intriguing character. A longtime Harvard professor, he recently came back to Canada, ran for the Liberal Party leadership, and is a Liberal MP in Parliament.

Yet, he has been very pro-Iraq-war, a position inconsistent with Canada (even Conservative PM Stephen Harper won't send troops to Iraq) and the Liberal Party.

Now in The New York Times, Ignatieff apologizes but not in a way where he seems very credible. This synopsis gives you a better flavor (the link is a solid analysis, but has a naughty word in the title. Canadians are much less hung up on language as opposed to the U.S.).

The comments below the piece are also well worth reading.

Americans moving to Canada reach 30-year high

Given my fondness for Canada, people ask me if I have thought about moving there. Well, yeah.

Turns out I'm not the only one. According to this story, the number of Americans admitted to Canada last year reached a 30-year high. The numbers look small, but they have grown this century: 10,942 Americans to Canada in 2006, 9,262 in 2005, and 5,828 in 2000.

By contrast, in 2006, 23,913 Canadians went to the U.S.

Canadians who are here in the States speak of a "brain drain" from Canada, though I wonder if that only applies to certain industries, such as medical research.

Unfortunately, the study doesn't go into why Americans are going to Canada. So why do you think Americans would leave for the Great White North?

Canada and the All-Star Game

Yes, Canada loves baseball, too. And Canadians are shining, especially around the midseason classic. Here's a nice writeup on future Canadian-born major leaguers.

Also, Vladimir Guerrero (former Montreal Expo) beat out Alex Rios (current Toronto Blue Jay) for the Home Run Derby crown Monday night. Canadian-born and reigning AL MVP Justin Morneau also participated in the home run contest.

Happy Canada Day

July 1 is Dominion Day, or Canada Day, when Canada first became a country in 1867. So happy birthday Canada.

Be sure to wear red and white today, the colors of the Canadian flag.

From Prime Minister Stephen Harper:

July 1, 2007

Ottawa, Ontario

"Greetings fellow Canadians…

On July 1, 1867, three small colonies joined together as the Dominion of Canada.

Today 140 years later, we are a federation of 10 provinces and three territories, stretching to the coasts of three oceans.

But our vision reaches beyond our shores.

We are building successful business in world markets.

We are working to deliver aid and enhance security throughout our globe.

And, in concert with other countries, we are wrestling to address the environmental challenges that confront our planet.

From championships in hockey to humanitarian and military leadership roles in Afghanistan and Haiti, we can say again this year, Canada is a citizen of the world and we make our contribution a positive one.

And why shouldn`t we? From the natural wealth of the land that God created, to the talents, energy and imagination of people drawn from all the nations of the earth, we are a country that has been truly blessed.

I believe that whether our ancestors came from the East, the West, or the South, as Canadians we always look to the North for the true definition of our country.

This past year, I visited our Canadian Forces and public service personnel at Alert on Ellesmere Island, the most northerly human habitation on the planet.

As I looked at the vast gleaming expanse of the Arctic I could not help but think it is as limitless as the potential of Canada itself.

On behalf of Laureen, Ben, and Rachel as well as all of our government, I wish you, your friends and your loved ones, a happy Canada Day."

— Prime Minister Stephen Harper
July 1, 2007

More on SiCKO and Canada

As promised, more on Canada and SiCKO.

As I mentioned last week, I saw a sneak preview of SiCKO, and it features quite a bit about Canada. Michael Moore has been friendly to Canada for years, ranging from singing the Canadian anthem at a Detroit Tigers game to his fiction film, "Canadian Bacon," to featuring Canada in "Bowling for Columbine."

I wanted to save a lot of what was said about Canada until the movie came out. If you didn't see it Friday, well, spoiler alert.

SPOILER

Some of Moore's praise for Canada's health care system starts with Tommy Douglas. Tommy Douglas was recently voted the greatest Canadian of all time. He was instrumental in getting universal health care for Canada.

Moore didn't really explain much of who Douglas was. Here's a helpful page. Douglas was the longtime leader of the CCF Party (now the New Democratic Party).

From Michael Moore:

For more than 50 years, his staunch devotion to social causes, rousing powers of speech and pugnacious charm made Tommy C. Douglas an unstoppable political force. From his first foray into public office politics in 1934 to his post-retirement years in the 1970s, Canada's 'father of Medicare' stayed true to his socialist beliefs -- often at the cost of his own political fortune -- and earned himself the respect of millions of Canadians in the process.

As a trivia note, Douglas' grandson is Kiefer Sutherland of "24" fame.

I particularly enjoyed the story of the woman who drove across the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit to Windsor to get medicine. Yes, she was breaking Canadian law, which makes it illegal for non-citizens to get medicine. She had apparently listed the address of her Canadian friend in Windsor. But I can understand her predicament.

Ironically, as the film notes, she could have married her friend, and then legally received the medicine.

Moore also talks with a couple of his relatives who are Canadian. We see them buying insurance for when they travel to the U.S. This isn't travel insurance, this is health insurance in case something happens while they are in the States. I had the understanding that Canadians were covered as they travel outside the country, but perhaps I am mistaken.

He also speaks with a gentleman in a golf cart. Moore asks him if he is some kind of liberal for his views on health care. I laughed when he said he was in the Conservative Party. Regardless of party affiliation in Canada, universal health care is accepted in Canada.

For those who argue that Moore has exaggerated the praise for Canada, perhaps that is so. But compared to the U.S. system, every consensus is that Canada's system is better. Nobody has argued otherwise. We could discuss how long some have to wait for elective surgeries or the tax impact (though Moore does address that in the movie).

Does Canada's program need improvement? Yes. Is it still better than the U.S. and can the U.S. learn from how Canada does things? Yes.

Canada, its health care, and SiCKO

I got a chance to see a sneak preview of the new Michael Moore film "SiCKO."

I don't want to spoil it for the many who want to see the movie. Needless to say, Canada is featured prominently in portraying a better-run health care system. Yes, Canada, like every industralized Western country (except for the U.S.) has free, universal health care. And yes, Canadians do pay for it through taxes.

Moore does focus on the tax issue somewhat, though I'm curious to hear from Canadians as to their experience. I know a couple of Canadians came up to Moore at Cannes and said the Canadian system wasn't as good as he made it out to be. Then again, when Moore offered to trade insurance cards, they refused.

I would argue, perhaps naively, that recent setbacks in Canadian health care is due to money being cutback from budgets.

There are precious Canadian moments that I will share once the movie opens nationwide. I will run my piece on Saturday morning at 12:01 a.m. CDT, so if you don't want it to be spoiled, see it Friday.

I will share one funny note during the credits: the offer that if you want to marry a Canadian for health care coverage, there is a Web site hook-a-canuck.com/. If you click on the site, it shows a picture of Josh Kanuck, "SiCKO" Assistant Editor, a play off his last name. But then you can click to find Canadian matchmaking services found online. I've thought about marrying a Canadian for that purpose (and to move up there).

Hillary's campaign song a nod to a Canadian

We are generally non-political at Canadian Corner, at least outside of Canada. We do love when the president of the U.S. has a warm relationship with Canada, makes visits, or even knows where Canada is.

But we do have to congratulate Canada's own Celine Dion, whose song "You and I" was selected as Hillary Clinton's campaign song.

The irony of picking a song by a Canadian is rich to us at Canadian Corner, though I don't suppose that many in the MSM will pick up on that. Then again, Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" (Bill Clinton's theme song) features both U.S. and British performers. Christine McVie, the song's writer and singer, is British.

So perhaps it doesn't matter. And this way, people will get to find out Celine Dion is Canadian.

Temporary reprieve on passports

Good news for your summer vacation in Canada!! If you are a U.S. resident who has applied for your passport, from now until the end of September, you can fly to Canada with a government-issued identification, such as a driver's license, and a receipt from a State Department Web site showing you have applied for a passport.

All the warnings we gave didn't help since there has been a mad dash to get passports.

At Canadian Corner, we think it's great to see an increased interest in passports and the international travel it provides. Hopefully, your view of traveling to Canada hasn't been deterred by these changes. If so, it's not Canada's fault. Just remember that.

Using the Internet to get Canadian content

This blog item (from the other blog in the empire, Balance of Food) does remind us that getting Canadian content is much easier thanks to the Internet.

I met a producer from the CBC who reminded me that even in the U.S., you can access good video through the Web site, such as this piece.

I have friends who would love to have a "CBC America" as it were. And they aren't as much into Canada as I am. They just want good quality news.

Once again, the Canadian team loses

Disappointment reigned for those who hoped the third time would be the charm. The third consecutive Stanley Cup featuring a Canadian-based team ends in the U.S.-based team winning the Cup.

Ottawa ran out of gas, or something, losing in 5 games to Anaheim after having played so well.

Having Canadian-based teams in the Stanley Cup has been great for Canada, but the drought of victories has been frustrating. Regardless of which Canadian team they root for, Canadians would like the Cup to reside north of the border.

But we do congratulate the Eastern Conference champs, the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa had a great team and played very well until the end.

NHL playoff update

All times listed are Eastern Daylight time. * if necessary

Stanley Cup Finals
Ottawa vs. Detroit/Anaheim
Anaheim wins series 4-1
Game 1: Anaheim 3, Ottawa 2
Game 2: Anaheim 1, Ottawa 0
Game 3: Ottawa 5, Anaheim 3
Game 4: Anaheim 3, Ottawa 2
Game 5: Anaheim 6, Ottawa 2

Eastern Conference
(4) Ottawa vs. (1) Buffalo
Ottawa wins series 4-1
Game 1: Ottawa 5, Buffalo 2
Game 2: Ottawa 4, Buffalo 3 (2 OT)
Game 3: Ottawa 1, Buffalo 0
Game 4: Buffalo 3, Ottawa 2
Game 5: Ottawa 3, Buffalo 2 (OT)

(4) Ottawa vs. (2) New Jersey
Ottawa wins series 4-1
Game 1: Ottawa 5, New Jersey 4
Game 2: New Jersey 3, Ottawa 2 (2 OT)
Game 3: Ottawa 2, New Jersey 0
Game 4: Ottawa 3, New Jersey 2
Game 5: Ottawa 3, New Jersey 2

(4) Ottawa vs. (5) Pittsburgh
Ottawa wins series 4-1
Game 1: Ottawa 6, Pittsburgh 3
Game 2: Pittsburgh 4, Ottawa 3
Game 3: Ottawa 4, Pittsburgh 2
Game 4: Ottawa 2, Pittsburgh 1
Game 5: Ottawa 3, Pittsburgh 0

Western Conference
(3) Vancouver vs. (2) Anaheim
Anaheim wins series 4-1
Game 1: Anaheim 5, Vancouver 1
Game 2: Vancouver 2, Anaheim 1 (2 OT)
Game 3: Anaheim 3, Vancouver 2
Game 4: Anaheim 3, Vancouver 2 (OT)
Game 5: Anaheim 2, Vancouver 1 (2 OT)

(1) Detroit vs. (8) Calgary
Detroit wins series 4-2
Game 1: Detroit 4, Calgary 1
Game 2: Detroit 3, Calgary 1
Game 3: Calgary 3, Detroit 2
Game 4: Calgary 3, Detroit 2
Game 5: Detroit 5, Calgary 1
Game 6: Detroit 2, Calgary 1 (2 OT)

(3) Vancouver vs. (6) Dallas
Vancouver wins series 4-3
Game 1: Vancouver 5, Dallas 4 (4 OT)
Game 2: Dallas 2, Vancouver 0
Game 3: Vancouver 2, Dallas 1 (OT)
Game 4: Vancouver 2, Dallas 1
Game 5: Dallas 1, Vancouver 0 (OT)
Game 6: Dallas 2, Vancouver 0
Game 7: Vancouver 4, Dallas 1

NBC does better once it gets to Ottawa

After all the justified teasing NBC received over its shameful Ottawa-Buffalo coverage, the network made Ottawa look sharp Saturday night.

There were beautiful shots of the river, nice displays of rabid Senators fans, and even a map of where Ottawa actually is. We noted that NBC is rarely in Canada's capital, and so even I could justify a map. Very nicely done.

The anthems were gorgeous. I noticed during last year's Stanley Cup in Edmonton that Western Canada tends to sing the whole anthem in English while most of Eastern Canada (especially around Quebec) sings the bilingual version.

So I'm sure some NBC viewers may have wondered where the subtitles were in the middle of the anthem. Ottawa rests on the Ontario/Quebec border with Hull, QC, being part of the Ottawa metropolitan area. So it is a very bilingual area.

The bilingual anthem caught me by surprise when I was in Montreal, singing it during an Expos game. I kept singing it in English because I could not have even tried it in French, unless I had the words written out. Even then, my accent would have been tres mal.

I could never imagine a scenario in the U.S. where the anthem would be loud as it was when the singer pointed the microphone away from himself, and you could still hear the crowd really well. I noticed this last year in Edmonton, too.

And hopefully, there won't be any bad blood between the two countries as they was with the San Jose incident when the Sharks fans booed the Canadian anthem.

Plus, Monday night, NBC said we will get to see Don Cherry on its airwaves during one of the intermissions. Set your recording device for that one. And if you've never seen Cherry do his stuff, you are in for a treat.

How hard is it to cross the Canada-U.S. border?

It can be a really easy experience or it may take a while. But if you have TB and you are on a list at the border, and your exposure is a significant health concern for everyone around you, hopefully crossing would be a hard task.

We all know by now the story of Andrew Speaker, who flew from Italy to Montreal and drove across the border at Champlain, NY rather than stay where he was or fly into the United States directly.

Forgotting the health issues and the inherent stubbornness, it actually was clever to enter the U.S. the way he did. When I first found out he flew to Canada and then made it across to the U.S., I assumed he flew to Toronto. I wasn't sure of any flight histories between Canada and Italy, but figured Toronto was the logical choice.

Perhaps Speaker, anticipating that pressure would be higher in Toronto and major crossings (e.g., Detroit/Windsor, Niagara Falls) would also have more pressure, picked an end-around, and found a city where it was less likely that he would be found, and a border crossing more likely to let him go through easily.

Being a personal injury lawyer might make it easier for him to seem cool at a border crossing. At the last crossing into Canada, I got asked how much money I had on me. And I didn't have TB.

Here at Canadian Corner, we have always subscribed to the idea that you never lie at customs, but how often are you asked, "Do you have a communicable disease?"

The thing to learn from this is that if you need to cross and not be caught, pick an obscure crossing area. Don't pick the Peace Bridge. Port Huron and Detroit are out. But you didn't hear that from us.

NBC travels north of the border, again

In the first time since the 2007 adaptation of "Heidi," NBC carries an Ottawa Senators game. The network makes its first appearance in Ottawa since ... since ... who knows.

I made a point last year that NBC hadn't been in Edmonton since the Eskimos were on during the NFL strike in 1982. Well, it's possible that the Ottawa Rough Riders were on back then. But I have no proof one way or another.

NBC will carry Games 3 and 4 from Ottawa. Since the May sweeps period is over, there should be no reason for the network to switch or do anything damaging to its already distorted image.

So let's see both anthems and plenty of shots of Ottawa. Let's showcase Canada's capital on NBC. But if I were watching in Buffalo, Detroit, Seattle, etc., I still might watch CBC, just in case.

Latest Canadian trip

I decided for as long as I am in the Midwest that at least once a year, preferably more, I will do a trip to Windsor.

I realize Windsor is considered the armpit of Canada and Southwestern Ontario. But I always discover new things, more than just the Windsor Ballet.

I made another trip to its Little Italy. Unlike Chicago's, Windsor's Little Italy is continuous and is a rather fun experience. I had a good dinner and a nice stroll. In fact, I strolled back to my hotel since the Little Italy is fairly close to downtown.

I also discovered the mall in Windsor. I wanted a hockey hat, and hockey hats are hard to find in the States. I found all I wanted at the mall.

I also did some food research, buying sweetened products that taste less sweet in Canada.

Canada tourism profiled in WSJ

This article, which may not last for long, examines Canada's rebranding. Despite my trips, Canada is receiving fewer U.S. visitors.

The 10 million ($C) package is designed to update Canada's image. Yes, Canada has its rugged adventure areas, but it does have world-class cities as well.

One thing that will hurt Canadian tourism from the U.S. is the value of the dollar. Above 90 cents at the moment, U.S. travelers won't get as much bang for their buck as they might be used to.

And having been up there recently, gas was running about $1.08/Canadian per liter, which even with the exchange rate, is more expensive than the U.S.

Ottawa vs. Anaheim in the finals

The headline could have read "Good vs. Evil" but that seemed mean.

Ottawa, the Canadian-based team, would be "Good." The Southern California team with the original nickname based on a Disney film, would be "evil."

But it is Canada vs. U.S. (again), frozen river vs. sunny beaches.

It's not good vs. evil, but it is a battle between having the Cup where it belongs vs. where it doesn't belong.

The fun starts Monday. Keep it here for details.

NBC pulls the plug

"We're in the middle of this exciting NHL contest going to overtime, one team's season on the line, but we're not going to show it to you because we'd rather show you PRE-GAME coverage of a horse race."

This was not the actual phrase used, but this was what happened Saturday when NBC bailed out of the Ottawa-Buffalo action after regulation.

Fortunately, I was in Windsor (across from Detroit, MI) watching the game on the CBC while on a brief vacation. In fact, I turned over to NBC just to see how its coverage was going, and I saw a feature on a horse. I thought "Oh, they must have lost its signal."

If I had been watching the game on U.S. soil, or taping it, I would have been beyond furious. Switching for the horse race itself, maybe I could understand. But PRE-GAME?!?

The long-term solution is digital TV, so when this comes about, one digital signal can carry hockey (ideally, the same stream that started the game) and one digital signal can carry horse racing coverage.

Many questions were asked as to whether NBC would have done this if the New York Rangers were playing the New Jersey Devils. I don't think there is an anti-Canadian bias, but it looks bad when Ottawa's celebration after scoring in the first overtime is moved from NBC to Versus, and NBC never even comes back to say "Here's what you missed."

The CBC would never have done something like that, regardless of who was playing.

Ottawa in the Stanley Cup

Congratulations to the Ottawa Senators, winners of the Eastern Conference. Most of Canada (hey, Toronto fans, jump on the bandwagon) is rooting for the Cup to come back to Canada.

This is the third straight year a Canadian-based team has reached the Stanley Cup finals. Calgary and Edmonton have done it the last 2 years.

Now, every Canadian-based team has made the Stanley Cup finals at least once. Every Canadian-based team has made it since 1994, when Montreal was the last Canadian-based team to win the Cup, except for Toronto.

There is a source of pride to keep the Cup in Canada and not have it go to the South (or Southern California).

Ottawa advances

Nice job and congrats to the Ottawa Senators, heading to the Eastern Conference finals. The Senators have only lost 2 games so far, rather impressive. The guarantee is that Ottawa will play a team from New York state. The Senators play the winner of the NY Rangers/Buffalo series. If the Rangers win, Ottawa is the home team; otherwise, a Buffalo win gives it home ice.

A Canadian-based team hasn't won since 1994 (Montreal). The modern Ottawa team has never won the Cup.

As far as the West goes, Canadian Corner is officially behind Detroit. The Red Wings get our Western Conference hearty endorsement for 2 good reasons: 1) Original 6 team, and 2) slightly more than a swim across the Detroit River from Canada. The Detroit metro area even has a CBC affiliate, CBET. In fact, good ol' Channel 9 carries Detroit Red Wings games when offered as a regional game on Hockey Night in Canada.

An Ottawa-Detroit Stanley Cup battle would be almost as good as it gets, and the best we can hope for now. Canadian Corner has similar feelings for Buffalo, given its proximity to the border, though Ottawa is more of a favorite than Buffalo.

Au Revoir, Vancouver, Toronto

And then there was Ottawa. The Senators are the only Canadian-based team left in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Anaheim was the favorite going in, and the Canucks had problems with injuries and a lack of scoring. The Canucks had a good year. But they know they need a lot more to get past the elite of the Western Conference.

So no more exposure of the great Pacific Northwest, and that is the saddest news of all.

The NBA saga wasn't a surprise, though the end was disappointing. No last shot at all. The Raptors are young, and it was nice having casual NBA fans see life north of the border.

Easten Conference
(3) Toronto vs. (6) New Jersey
New Jersey wins series 4-2
Game 1: New Jersey 96, Toronto 91
Game 2: Toronto 89, New Jersey 83
Game 3: New Jersey 102, Toronto 89
Game 4: New Jersey 102, Toronto 81
Game 5: Toronto 98, New Jersey 96
Game 6: New Jersey 98, Toronto 97

Bad weekend to be a Canadian-based team

Ottawa had a really nice comeback Saturday but couldn't pull it out in double overtime. Vancouver lost a nailbiter at home to Anaheim. And the Toronto Raptors are now down 3-1 in its series against New Jersey.

The Senators are in the best position, series tied at 1, going home for the first time in this series. The Canucks are not in good shape in its fight to stay alive, down 2-1 in the series. The Raptors are probably toast, a young, inexperienced team up against a solid ball club.

Keeping Canada's name alive in the playoffs is a tough, but noble, quest. Having Edmonton alive for as long as it was last summer was great publicity for the country. The Raptors have brought notice about Toronto and Canada to more casual basketball fans this time.

Right now, the best shot to advance to the next round is Ottawa, and they will likely have to play Buffalo, the consensus for best team in the NHL.

Second round begins

Ottawa won and Vancouver lost. Could have predicted that rather easily. You might not have predicted Ottawa would get off to a 4-0 lead. You would have predicted Vancouver would look tired, and they did.

It looks like all the games from here will air on Versus with U.S. feeds. I thought, maybe, Vancouver's Game 1 might be on the CBC feed. I was hoping Versus would come up with a way to show Game 1 for Ottawa. The best place to be might have been Detroit where you could have flipped back and forth between Detroit on Versus and Ottawa on CBC.

There is a scenario where Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa, and Vancouver would be the Final Four. If Canadian teams don't make it, our next best scenario is teams near the border such as Buffalo and Detroit. In the above scenario, it would be a virtual no-lose situation.

If Detroit plays Anaheim, Canadian Corner will absolutely root for Detroit. If Buffalo plays New Jersey, Canadian Corner will absolutely root for Buffalo. But our goal is for the Stanley Cup to reside in Canada.

Ottawa, Vancouver advance; Calgary is gone

Was it the old-school blue and green uniforms? Was it the leadership of the "old" man Trevor Linden and his game-winning goal?

Well, it was something as Vancouver advances to the next round with a deceiving 4-1 win over Dallas. The Canucks scored 2 empty netters at the end.

Vancouver now plays Anaheim and will start on the road Wednesday.

The other Canadian-based team to advance, Ottawa will play New Jersey. The Devils eliminated Tampa Bay on Sunday.

No Southern team will win the Stanley Cup. Dallas had the last shot.

Calgary embarassed itself in Game 5 on multiple levels. The Flames gave it a gallant try in Game 6, but couldn't pull it out against a more-talented Red Wings team.

The next round of the playoffs start Wednesday. All of the Vancouver series will air in the U.S. The same can not be said for Ottawa: Game 1 will not air in the U.S. and possibly Game 7. Unbelievable!! Anyone who thinks the NHL has a good TV deal in the States is in serious denial.

Hopefully, somehow, on tape-delay or something, all the games will be available. If there are changes, we will post them here on Canadian Corner. All the games will air in Canada on a combination of CBC, TSN and RDS.

Please don't let Vancouver choke

Snake-bit would be an understatement if Vancouver blows a 3-1 lead. Yes, Dallas and Vancouver are fairly well-matched. But when a 3 seed blows a 3-1 series lead and is forced to play a Game 7, it looks bad even if they win the series.

There were high hopes for the Canucks: a hot goalie in Roberto Luongo and a team hungry for success. You knew Ottawa would have some success, for Calgary, you were hopeful for any success. You hoped for much more than just getting out of the first round for Vancouver.

Even though the Canucks haven't scored a goal since game 4, it is still very likely Vancouver will advance. The Canucks are on home ice Monday night. The crowd, perhaps hungrier than the players for success, will be in a white-towel waving frenzy.

The sad part is by Tuesday morning, we could be down to one Canadian-based hockey team. If Calgary wins Sunday night, Game 7 will be Tuesday.

As for the second round, if New Jersey wins its series, Ottawa will play the Devils. Ottawa would be the lower seed in the matchup, so it would open on the road. Buffalo would then play the New York Rangers.

Provided the Canucks advance, Vancouver would play Anaheim if Detroit win its series, San Jose if Calgary pulls off the upset. Provided the Flames advance, Calgary would play Anaheim.

There are a few basic goals in the NHL playoffs: Advance as many Canadian-based teams as far as they can go, give props to the Original 6, and make sure no Southern teams win the Cup. The last two years, Tampa Bay and Carolina have won the Cup. The New Jersey Devils in 2003 were the last non-Southern team to win. If Tampa Bay is eliminated and Dallas loses to Vancouver, the Stanley Cup shall not rise in the South, a good thing for hockey.

Toronto Raptors start playoffs today

It is almost guaranteed we here at Canadian Corner will cover the NHL playoffs since Canadian-based teams are extremely likely to make the playoffs. After all, Canadian-based teams make up 20% of the league.

Much less likely is our coverage of the NBA playoffs, since the Canadian-based team is 3% of the league. After the Grizzlies moved from Vancouver, Toronto is the only team left. And for the first time since 2002, the Raptors are in the playoffs.

The Raptors are Atlantic Division champions and will play the New Jersey Nets. Vince Carter, perhaps the team's best-known franchise player, now plays for New Jersey. This is the first division crown for Toronto.

The TV coverage will be spotty at best. NBA TV is a digital cable channel I don't even get. All the games should be available nationwide on cable in Canada. A game here and there could air in the states on ABC, though Toronto will likely have to advance to the next round for that to happen.

In the NBA culture, Toronto is out there whereas Toronto has fit in well in the MLB culture. So little attention will be paid to Toronto unless they do something huge in the postseason.

No more U.S. newspaper bureaus in Canada

Great article about a sad topic. Now no major newspaper will have a reporter stationed in Canada. The Washington Post was the last major newspaper with a reporter (Doug Struck).

The article makes a great point that the States could learn a lot simply by seeing how Canada deals with the problems of the world. It is an American trait to think we do things the best way and we couldn't learn from anyone else.

Well, Canada deals with the same issues, they are in North America, and most of them speak English.

The Associated Press still "maintains a full-time bureau." But Canada is a large country to cover under those circumstances.

The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and other major newspapers have reporters across the world: London, Paris, Moscow, the Middle East and more. But they can't be bothered to have one reporter in Toronto or Vancouver.

Well, we may not be a fancy bureau, but we will continue to write about Canada here at the Canadian Corner.

Triple Canadian win

Ottawa and Vancouver look very good to advance to the next round. Each team eeked out a 2-1 win on road ice and both go home to try to clinch.

When you only have 3 of the 16 teams, it looks bad if you can't even get 2 into the next round.

The third team, Calgary, did survive, winning on home ice over Detroit. The CBC feed of this game was carried in the States on Versus. The impression given is that the West Coast games in this round are more likely to get a CBC feed.

I don't think Ottawa will be shown with the CBC feed for one simple reason: Sidney Crosby. If you don't know who Crosby is, you might not be paying any attention to hockey. Crosby plays for Pittsburgh, in his first playoff series, and not old enough to drink legally in the States.

The U.S. hockey media is obsessed with getting Crosby as much as ice time as they can. So we knew every game in the Ottawa series would be on Versus with no CBC feed, and not because it's Ottawa. The Senators will win this series and perhaps do really well. Soon the U.S. media might pick up on that fact.

Changes to GST/HST Visitor Rebate Program

One of the joys of traveling to Canada from the U.S. has been getting rebates on the GST and HST on major purchases you made (e.g., hotel rooms).

Unfortunately, on March 19, the GST/HST Visitor Rebate Program was sacked in favor of the Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program.

Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) are the provincial taxes comarable to the state and local taxes in the U.S. They are generally more punishing than the U.S. ones, then again, you get what you pay for. Since U.S. visitors are not citizens, it was felt that in certain situations, they shouldn't have to pay them. But even for me, it's complicated.

Visitor rebate claims filed, to recover GST/HST on purchases of goods and short-term accommodations made after March 31, 2007, will be held by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) until the legislation has passed.

The bottom line is you may not get back as much as you used to do, but check out the details here to see what you can get back in the future.

First CBC game in the postseason

Just when you wondered whether Versus would carry a CBC feed, we were greeted with Jim Huson and Harry Neale from Dallas. It was the 3rd game of the day, so it was an ideal spot for a CBC feed.

I realize no U.S. TV setup will ever match the CBC (or TSN), but the difference is huge. I would think the average hockey fan would appreciate the sport more if they had the CBC feed year-round.

Still, we have been able to see more Canadian-based teams in the playoffs. Given the rarity at which they aired during the regular season, the playoffs give you our first national looks at Ottawa, Calgary, and Vancouver.

Calgary is going to have a rough series with Detroit. Edmonton won 2 of the first 3 last year, so the Red Wings, up 2-0 in the series, is already at an advantage over last year.

Ottawa and Vancouver look quite strong. The Canucks are now 19-3 in OT games this season, and 2-0 in the playoffs. You must think the Stars would be scared at OT.

Versus seems to be treating the playoffs more seriously this year. But even if they run it tape-delayed from the CBC Vancouver feed in the middle of the night, it should still run Game 4 of the Dallas-Vancouver series.

Calgary loses Game 1

Detroit suffered the humiliation of being the #1 seed and losing in the first round last year to a team from Alberta (Edmonton). This year, the Red Wings are the #1 seed and playing a team from Alberta (Calgary). The Red Wings aren't as good as they were last year, but they are not going to overlook any team from Alberta.

All times listed are Eastern Daylight time. * if necessary

Eastern Conference
(4) Ottawa vs. (5) Pittsburgh
Ottawa 1-0
Game 1: at Ottawa 6, Pittsburgh 3
Game 2: Saturday, April 14 3p at Ottawa (CBC, NBC)
Game 3: Sunday, April 15 6p at Pittsburgh (VERSUS, CBC)
Game 4: Tuesday, April 17 7p at Pittsburgh (VERSUS, CBC)
Game 5: Thursday, April 19 7p at Ottawa* (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 6: Sunday, April 22 7p at Pittsburgh* (NBC, CBC)
Game 7: Tuesday, April 24 7p at Ottawa* (VERSUS, CBC)

Western Conference
(1) Detroit vs. (8) Calgary
Detroit 1-0
Game 1: at Detroit 4, Calgary 1
Game 2: Sunday, April 15 1p at Detroit (NBC, CBC)
Game 3: Tuesday, April 17 10p at Calgary (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 4: Thursday, April 19 TBD at Calgary (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 5: Saturday, April 21 3p at Detroit* (NBC, CBC)
Game 6: Sunday, April 22 TBD at Calgary* (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 7: Tuesday, April 24 TBD at Detroit* (CBC, VERSUS)

(3) Vancouver vs. (6) Dallas
Vancouver 1-0
Game 1: at Vancouver 5, Dallas 4 (4 OT)
Game 2: Friday, April 13 9p at Vancouver (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 3: Sunday, April 15 9:30p at Dallas (VERSUS, CBC)
Game 4: Tuesday, April 17 8p at Dallas (CBC [JIP])
Game 5: Thursday, April 19 TBD at Vancouver* (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 6: Saturday, April 21 8p at Dallas* (VERSUS, CBC)
Game 7: Monday, April 23 TBD at Vancouver* (CBC, VERSUS)

Ottawa, Vancouver take early leads

Ottawa and Vancouver did as expected and got off to a flying start in the NHL playoffs. The Senators scored 2 quick early goals to easily put away Pittsburgh 6-3.

Roberto Luongo's first playoff game will always be memorable. The Canucks goalie had 72 saves as Vancouver edged Dallas 5-4 in the 4th overtime period. No goofy shootouts in playoff hockey.

The Sedin twins were the heroes at the end. Henrik Sedin took a pass from his brother Daniel and scored at 18:06 (for neophyte hockey fans, 18:06 means that amount of time into a 20-minute period, so there was 1:54 left in that period when he scored).

In the U.S., we have the coverage on Versus, though it is not nearly as good as the CBC. The Versus crew couldn't even get the scorer of the first goal within the TV frame.

I wasn't even sure we'd get an American feed for these games. Versus is very reluctant to travel north of the border for coverage. So for the first time all season, Ottawa and Vancouver were featured on Versus, and at home as well.

It's difficult to build momentum when you wait until the playoffs to introduce two of the top teams in the league.

One treat you get with the CBC coverage has been Coaches Corner with Don Cherry. The bombastic former coach is part John Madden, part Terry Bradshaw, and part something you can't translate into American. He is a treat in the in-between periods segments.

Cherry is also going to do some work for NBC, giving the American audience a peek into this controversial personna. Hopefully, he won't have to tone it down for the Americans.

All times listed are Eastern Daylight time. * if necessary

Eastern Conference
(4) Ottawa vs. (5) Pittsburgh
Ottawa 1-0
Game 1: at Ottawa 6, Pittsburgh 3
Game 2: Saturday, April 14 3p at Ottawa (CBC, NBC)
Game 3: Sunday, April 15 6p at Pittsburgh (VERSUS, CBC)
Game 4: Tuesday, April 17 7p at Pittsburgh (VERSUS, CBC)
Game 5: Thursday, April 19 7p at Ottawa* (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 6: Sunday, April 22 7p at Pittsburgh* (NBC, CBC)
Game 7: Tuesday, April 24 7p at Ottawa* (VERSUS, CBC)

Western Conference
(1) Detroit vs. (8) Calgary
Game 1: Thursday, April 12 7p at Detroit (VERSUS, CBC)
Game 2: Sunday, April 15 1p at Detroit (NBC, CBC)
Game 3: Tuesday, April 17 10p at Calgary (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 4: Thursday, April 19 TBD at Calgary (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 5: Saturday, April 21 3p at Detroit* (NBC, CBC)
Game 6: Sunday, April 22 TBD at Calgary* (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 7: Tuesday, April 24 TBD at Detroit* (CBC, VERSUS)

(3) Vancouver vs. (6) Dallas
Vancouver 1-0
Game 1: at Vancouver 5, Dallas 4 (4 OT)
Game 2: Friday, April 13 9p at Vancouver (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 3: Sunday, April 15 9:30p at Dallas (VERSUS, CBC)
Game 4: Tuesday, April 17 8p at Dallas (CBC [JIP])
Game 5: Thursday, April 19 TBD at Vancouver* (CBC, VERSUS)
Game 6: Saturday, April 21 8p at Dallas* (VERSUS, CBC)
Game 7: Monday, April 23 TBD at Vancouver* (CBC, VERSUS)