The NHL playoffs are underway and I have to say the action is superb. God knows I love hockey anytime but playoff hockey really is something else. After an 82 game regular season it just gets turned up an extra notch. It's faster, with constant attacking and end-to-end rushes. It's also incredibly physical with bodycheck after bodycheck bringing the fans to their feet. But there's no fighting (why can't it be like this all the time??). Anyhow I'm happy to report that Montreal are back to winning ways after my little betrayal. I attoned for it by cheering loudly all the way through game 3 (and a huge portion of nachos) in a bar in Banff. The series with Boston is 2-1 to Boston but the tide has clearly turned our way.

Another feature of the playoffs I like is the trash talking in the tabloid papers! It seems its the duty of the hometown journalists to ridicule the other city. So the BC Province had a point-counterpoint article with a journalist from Vancouver explaining how all Calgarians are truck-driving, cowboy hat wearing rednecks who don't know anything about good hockey, while the Calgary writer pointed out that Vancouver was full of latte-sipping, tofu-munching, sandal-wearing hippies who don't know anything about good hockey. Nice. Oh and the mayors of the respective cities have also got some kind of bet on. We should get this going for the cup final at home.

Or on second thoughts maybe we shouldn't...